Evolution of volatile profile and aroma potential of table grape Hutai-8 during berry ripening

Hutai-8 (Vitis vinifera × Vitis labrusca) is a table grape widely cultivated in China. In order to determine the changes in volatile profile and aroma potential during berry ripening, a total of 84 free and 73 bound aroma compounds were identified and quantified using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). Aldehydes and esters were found to be the main volatile compounds in Hutai-8. They accumulated up to 70 days after flowering (DAF) and then decreased. Bound esters and alcohols were prominent. The concentration of bound esters in Hutai-8 at DAF80 was 714.90 µg/L. β-Damascenone, hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, (E)-2-nonenal, and ethyl octanoate significantly contributed to the volatile profile of Hutai-8. The odor activity value (OAV) of hexanal was the highest at DAF80, reaching 351.51. β-Damascenone mainly appeared midway through the maturation process, reaching a concentration of 12.79 µg/L. The majority of free components reached a maximum in DAF70, while the bound components continuously accumulated throughout the mature period. These results suggest that in addition to being a table grape, Hutai-8 has potential for brewing and other processing.