This study investigates the volatile compounds of green tea produced with different leaves from spring, summer, and autumn in high-latitude region. A total of 95 volatile compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Spring, summer and autumn green tea contained 68, 72 and 82 volatile compounds, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares-discrimination analysis (PLS-DA), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) classified the samples and showed the difference. And 32 key characteristic components were screened out based on variable importance in the projection (VIP) values higher than 1.0. The characteristic volatile compounds of spring green tea including 18 components, such as geranylacetone, phenethyl alcohol, geraniol, β-ionone, jasmone, 1-octen-3-ol and longifolene. 13 components such as 2-methylfuran, indole, 1-octanol, D-limonene and ethanethiol were the key compounds in summer green tea. And 2,4,6-trimethylstyrene was the major differential volatile compounds in autumn green tea. The results increase our knowledge of green tea in different seasons and provide a theoretical basis for production control of green tea.
Keywords: gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC−MS); green tea; season; volatile compounds.