Identification of Aroma Composition and Key Odorants Contributing to Aroma Characteristics of White Teas.

The identification of aroma composition and key odorants contributing to aroma characteristics of white tea is urgently needed, owing to white tea's charming flavors and significant health benefits. In this study, a total of 238 volatile components were identified in the three subtypes of white teas using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOFMS). The multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that the contents of 103 volatile compounds showed extremely significant differences, of which 44 compounds presented higher contents in Baihaoyinzhen and Baimudan, while the other 59 compounds exhibited higher contents in Shoumei.