Analysis of Floral Scent and Volatile Profiles of Different Aster Species by E-nose and HS-SPME-GC-MS.

Plants from the species are known to be a rich source of bioactive chemical compositions and are popularly known for their medicinal properties. To investigate the relationship between the nine species of , the floral fragrance and volatile profile patterns were characterized using E-nose and HS-SPME-GC-MS. Initial optimization for fragrance analysis was performed with using E-nose by evaluating the scent patterns in different flowering stages. exhibited varied scent patterns in each flowering stage, with the highest relative aroma intensity (RAI) in the full flowering stage. PCA analysis to compare and analyze the scent characteristics of nine species, showed a species-specific classification. HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis of flowers from nine species revealed 52 volatile compounds including β-myrcene, α-phellandrene, D-limonene, trans-β-ocimene, caryophyllene, and β-cadinene. The terpenoid compounds accounted for the largest proportion. Among the nine species flowers, had sesquiterpenes as the major component, and the remaining eight varieties had monoterpenes in abundance. These results could distinguish the species according to the scent patterns and volatile components of the nine species. Additionally, flower extracts from the species' plants exhibited radical scavenging antioxidant activity. Among them, it was confirmed that , , and had high antioxidant activity. In conclusion, the results of this study provide fundamental data of the volatile compound properties and antioxidant activity of species, offering basic information of valuable natural sources that can be utilized in the pharmaceutical, perfume, and cosmetic industries.