Comparative analysis of the aromatic profiles of citri sarcodactylis fructus from various geographical regions using GC-IMS, GC-MS, and sensory evaluation

Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus (CSF) has pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive, and is widely used as medicine and tea. Due to the different physical and chemical properties of CSF from each growing area, we quickly distinguish CSF from different regions by determining the characteristic flavor. This study aimed to investigate the variations in volatile flavors of different CSF originating from Jinhua (JFC), Guangdong (GFC), and Yunnan (YFC). Sensory evaluation, combined with gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), was employed to analyze the volatiles of CSF. GC-IMS showed each sample exhibited its characteristic peak, with YFC demonstrating higher peak areas compared to the others. GC-MS showed that terpenes constituted the highest proportion of volatiles in CSF samples, with limonene and γ-terpinene being the major components in finger citron. Odor activity value (OAV) in combination with principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated that specific compounds such as dimethyl anthranilate, 1,3,8-p-menthatriene, 2-undecanone, and geranyl propionate contributed significantly to the flavor profile of JFC. Similarly, α-Pinene, β-phellandrene, anethole, and meta-cymene played key roles in the flavor profile of GFC, whereas (Z)-β-ocimene, 1,8-cineole, citronellol, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, β-ionone, and p-cymene were identified as characteristic flavor compounds of YFC. Sensory evaluation showed significant flavor distinctions among the three types of CSF, with JFC exhibiting a prominent fruit aroma, GFC showing an evident herbal flavor, and YFC possessing a distinct floral aroma in its overall profile. These findings provided information on the differentiation of CSF originating from various geographical regions at a molecular level.