Comparative analysis of volatile constituents in Citrus Reticulata Blanco using GC–MS and alternative moving window factor analysis

Abstract The similarities and differences of essential oil components in Album Citri Reticulatae (ACR), Cylindricae Citri Reticulatae (CCR), Folium Citri Reticulatae (FCR), Exocarpium Citri Grandis (ECG), Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae Viride (PCRV) and Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (PCR) were investigated by GC–MS combined with a chemometric method named alternative moving window factor analysis (AMWFA). And temperature‐programmed retention indices (PTRIs) were used together with mass spectra for identification of the essential oil components. In essential oils of ACR, CCR, FCR, ECG, PCRV and PCR, 28, 26, 61, 62, 52 and 48 components were determined representing 93.13, 94.44, 93.53, 87.67, 99.03 and 98.03% of the total relative content, respectively. Also, the essential oils significantly differed both qualitatively and quantitatively. There were 14 common components among ACR, CCR, FCR, ECG, PCRV and PCR, their abundance varied in the ranges from 32.39% in FCR to 94.66% in PCRV. The results obtained may be helpful to the further study of pharmacological activity for their potential utilization as therapeutical agents.