Identification of aroma types and their characteristic volatile compounds of Chinese faint-scent cigarettes based on descriptive sensory analysis and GC–MS and partial least squares regression

Abstract

To characterize the aroma types of Chinese faint-scent cigarettes, eight different Chinese cigarette brands were characterized by quantitative descriptive sensory analysis and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The results showed that the aromatic faint-scent type was related to freshness, flowery and acidic notes. One hundred and fourteen volatile compounds were detected in the mainstream smoke by GC–MS, and 67 of them were selected as specific compounds correlated to aroma types of faint-scent by partial least squares regression. The correlation results indicated that freshness note was significantly positive correlated to 2,3-dimethyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one (B) and megastigmatrienone (B), while methyl hexadecanoate, palmitic acid ethyl ester, megastigmatrienone (A, C), 4-tert-butyl-2,6-dimethylacetophenone, furfuryl alcohol and oleic acid showed significantly negative correlation to it; acidic note showed significantly negative correlation to furfuryl formate, 3-methyl-2-cyclopenten-1-one, furfuryl alcohol, oleic acid and 5-methyl furfural; flowery note was significantly positively correlated with crotonic acid, while it was negatively correlated to palmitic acid ethyl ester and megastigmatrienone (A).