Characteristic aroma identification of differentially colored peach fruits based on HS-SPME-GC-MS.

Aromatic components are vital for the flavor profile of peaches. This study investigated the aroma compounds of 20 differential peach cultivars using headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). A total of 82 distinct aromas were identified, comprising 6 lactones, 16 esters, 24 alcohols, 5 aldehydes, 12 ketones, and 19 other compounds. The yellow peach cultivar 'Tropic Beauty' exhibited the highest aroma content, whereas 'Xiahui 5' topped the white peaches. Furthermore, 11 key aromas were identified based on their odor activity values (OAVs), with hexanal demonstrating the highest average OAV of 1333.27. The top ten cultivars were ranked as follows: 'Tropic Beauty', 'NJN76', 'Vega', 'Xiahui 5', 'Zhongyoujinshuai', 'Troubador', 'Flordaguard', 'Ruiguang 35', 'Jinhualu', and 'Xiacui'. These results lay a strong foundation for assessing peach flavor and developing breeding strategies for peach cultivars.