Sensory-directed flavor decoding: key aroma compounds determination in new Chinese apple cultivars using...

The new superior fresh apple varieties "Qin Cui" and "Qin Mi" cultivated in recent years are highly appreciated for their unique flavors, but their key aroma-active compounds have not yet been identified. This study used SPME combined with GC × GC-QTOFMS to identify 130 volatile compounds, while 28 aroma-active compounds were screened by GC-O with OAV. Based on multivariate statistical analyses, 5 compounds were further found to be the key differential compounds for distinguishing apple varieties. Sensory evaluation showed that the aroma recombination model based on quantitative data was highly consistent with the real fruit aroma profile. Through omission experiments, it was finally confirmed that methyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, 2-methylbutyl acetate, propyl 2-methylbutyrate, hexyl acetate, linalool, hexanal, nonanol, (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal, 1-octen-3-one, β-damascenone as the key aroma-active compounds of the two varieties. This research will provide a scientific basis for the selection of new superior apple varieties based on flavor quality guidance.