Volatile Composition and Aroma Description of Tea (Camellia sinensis) Flowers from Albino Cultivars

Volatiles are important quality components in tea (Camellia sinensis) flowers. Albino plants mutant with diverse abnormal metabolisms. However, whether the metabolisms of volatiles flowers from albino cultivars remains unclear. In this study, headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and aroma evaluation were conducted investigate volatile composition three (i.e., Baiye No.1, Huangjinya, Yujinxiang) one non-albino cultivar Jiukeng). The results indicated that shared majority but their relative abundances different. Twelve differential compounds screened out by partial least squares discriminant analysis. Linalool was highest abundance four flowers, while acetophenone Huangjinya. Aroma Huangjinya smelt sweetest among them. Partial regression analysis revealed (R)-1-phenylethanol positively associated sweet smell, methyl salicylate, 2-heptanol, (E)-2-hexenal, nonanal, 2-pentanol green smell. enhance our understanding cultivars.