Identification of Key Aroma Compounds in Cigar Mainstream Smoke and Investigation of the Electroencephalographic Responses: A Multidisciplinary Approach

ABSTRACT The dominant aroma smoke of cigars is key to their quality. This study employed gas chromatography‐olfactometry‐mass spectrometry (GC‐O‐MS) combined with odour activity value (OAV) analysis and sensory evaluation to identify critical volatile aroma compounds in mainstream smoke from five cigar brands. Additionally, electroencephalography (EEG) was utilised to investigate corresponding brain electrophysiological responses. A total of 121 volatile compounds were identified for the five cigars, with QJ (132 Miracle) having the highest content, followed by SX (Animals of the Chinese Zodiac), JD (Range 3 Classic), SS (Shengshi No. 5) and HS (Red 132). There were significant differences in aroma profiles and only 10 shared volatile compounds. A total of 48 aroma active compounds were detected by olfaction, of which 26 with OAV > 1 were key aroma active components and correlated with sensory attributes. 4‐methylguaiacol showed a significant positive correlation with caramel and honey flavours. 2‐Ethylhexanol and lauryl alcohol exhibited significant positive correlations with floral and creamy flavours. Brain activity peaked during the middle smoking phase, particularly in the occipital lobe and δ energies were generally active across brands, while γ energies displayed the most pronounced differences, with heightened activity during the middle phase. This study elucidates the key aroma components of cigar mainstream smoke and provides a scientific foundation for exploring neural perception mechanisms of cigar flavour, offering valuable data for enhancing domestic cigar flavour quality.