Tieguanyin (TGY) is one kind of oolong tea that is widely appreciated for its aroma and taste. To study the difference of volatile compounds among different types of TGY and other oolong teas, solid-phase microextraction−gas chromatography−mass spectrometry and chemometrics analysis were conducted in this experiment. Based on variable importance in projection > 1 and aroma character impact > 1, the contents of heptanal (1.60−2.79 μg/L), (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal (34.15−70.68 μg/L), (E)-2-octenal (1.57−2.94 μg/L), indole (48.44−122.21 μg/L), and (E)-nerolidol (32.64−96.63 μg/L) in TGY were higher than in other varieties. With the increase in tea fermentation, the total content of volatile compounds decreased slightly, mainly losing floral compounds. Heavily fermented tea contained a higher content of monoterpenoids, whereas low-fermentation tea contained higher contents of sesquiterpenes and indole, which could well distinguish the degree of TGY fermentation. Besides, the volatiles analysis of different grades of TGY showed that the special-grade tea contained more aroma compounds, mainly alcohols (28%). (E,E)-2,4-Heptadienal, (E)-2-octenal, benzeneacetaldehyde, and (E)-nerolidol were the key volatile compounds to distinguish different grades of TGY. The results obtained in this study could help enrich the theoretical basis of aroma substances in TGY.
Keywords: Tieguanyin; aroma; oolong tea; volatile compounds.