Characterization of the key odorants in Amomum tsao-ko cobs by sensory directed flavor analysis

To decode the key odorants in Amomum tsao-ko cobs (ATC) and to examine the impact of extraction methods on key odorants, volatiles of ATC were isolated by both hydrodistillation (HD) and solvent extraction combined with solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (SE-SAFE). In total, 49 aroma-active compounds with flavor dilution (FD) factors between 1 and 8192 were detected by gas chromatography–olfactometry-mass spectrometry, of which 39 and 42 odorants were identified in the HD and SAFE extracts, respectively. The 34 odorants (FD ≥ 16) were further quantitated; odor activity value calculations, aroma reconstitution and omission experiments were conducted to evaluate their contributions to the characteristic odor of ATC, and 11 compounds were confirmed as key odorants of ATC. Furthermore, the majority of the potent odor-active compounds in the two extracts were identical, but their concentrations were significantly different. The outcomes will give a theoretical foundation for developing and utilizing ATC.