Investigation of volatile profiles and odor-active compounds in Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus separated by different polarities using GC/MS, GC-olfactometry and electronic-nose system.

Abstract

This research investigated volatiles and odor active compounds in Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus. Heterocyclics were mainly extracted from hexane and dichloromethane extracts. Ketones were mainly detected from butanol fraction, and alcohols were mainly extracted from the ethanol fraction. GC-O analysis investigated the contents and intensities of three major odor active compounds increasing by ramping up polarity Multivariate analysis, which includes principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), by E-nose data showed 45.83% (PC1) and 29.27 (PC2) variances, respectively, and segregated two clusters. Multivariate analysis by GC-O data showed 65.64% (PC1) and 24.17% (PC2) variances, respectively, and segregated the three clusters, cluster I by ethanol extract, cluster II by dichloromethane extract, and cluster III by hexane and butanol extracts. This study demonstrates that different polarity solvents can collect various volatiles and odor active compound groups. Our findings can support basic research data as a natural and functional food additive.