GC-MS, GC-O and OAV analyses of key aroma compounds in Jiaozi Steamed Bread

Jiaozi Steamed Bread (JSB) has a unique aroma as a traditional staple food in China. The volatile compounds in JSB were extracted by simultaneous distillation and extraction (SDE) and headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME). These volatile substances were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry (GC-O-MS). The results demonstrated that 61 volatile compounds were identified totally in samples, of which 15 were confirmed as potent aroma compounds with odor active values (OAVs) >1. The 15 potent aroma compounds were ethanol, 1-butanol, 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol, heptanol, 1-octen-3-ol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, hexanal, heptanal, nonanal, (E)-2-heptenal, benzaldehyde, (E, E)-2,4-decadienal, 2-pentylfuran and naphthalene. The SDE method had better linearity with coefficients of determination (R2) equal to or higher than 0.9991. Furthermore, the SDE method also achieved lower sensitivity and better repeatability and recovery than HS-SPME. This work provides reference method and parameters for future research on the flavor of JSB for commercial products.