Comparison of volatile components in 11 Chinese yam (Dioscorea spp.) varieties

Yams (Dioscorea spp.) are widely cultivated as a vegetable and as herbal medicines in China. Although the analysis of volatile components is important for edible vegetables, less is known about yam's volatiles. The aim of this work was to investigate the differences in the volatile compositions of Chinese yams and to explore the varietal and geographical influences on their volatile compositions. A total of 84 volatile compounds were identified from 11 varieties of Chinese yams using HS-SPME-GC-MS/MS. Alcohols and ethers such as 1-octen-3-ol and anthole were identified as the universal characteristic volatile components in Chinese yams. Principal components analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis showed two clear clusters: Ziyu yam and other yams, and variety was a more important factor than producing area. The results of orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis showed that ZY was different from the other varieties and 3,3,6,6-tetramethyl-1,2,4,5-tetroxane and 2,3-butanediol were its characteristic volatile compounds. As a special yam, ZY might be studied further.