Identification of differences in volatile components and mining of characteristic components in different parts of ginseng based on E-nose, GC-IMS and GC-MS

Ginseng, as a valuable medicinal and edible plant, possesses a unique aroma that not only influences consumer acceptance but also exhibits certain functional properties. However, the aromatic components and mechanisms of ginseng remain unclear. Therefore, this study systematically analyzed the volatile components of different parts of ginseng (rhizome, main root, and fibrous root). The E-nose detected 22 potential volatile differential compounds, while HS-GC–IMS identified 100 volatile compounds and HS-SPME-GC-MS identified 1073 volatile compounds. Combining PCA and PLS DA methods, 21 marker differential compounds including hexanal were identified. Through rOAV analysis, 15 key flavor compounds were identified, including pyrazine and 2-methoxy-3-(1-methylethyl)-. By integrating multiple flavoromics approaches, we identified 10 typical flavor attributes including earthy, and pinpointed the 10 key flavor compounds contributing most significantly to each characteristic flavor profile. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed that among 42 metabolic pathways, the formation of differential compounds was associated with 10 key differentially expressed metabolic pathways, with 3 pathways closely linked to the development of ginseng's characteristic flavor profile. These findings provide crucial theoretical support for the efficient utilization of ginseng resources.