A comprehensive map of key aroma-active compounds in cigar tobacco via GC-IMS and GC-O-MS

The aromatic characteristics of cigar tobacco leaves are the result of the release of aromatic compounds, but research on the distinctive aromatic profiles of cigars has been limited. This study employed GC–IMS combined with PCA to reveal differences in volatile components in cigar tobacco leaves. Additionally, HS-SPME and SBSE were used to extract volatile components from cigar tobacco leaves, which were then identified using GC–O–MS. Based on odor activity values, 15 out of 120 compounds were classified as aromatic active compounds. GC-IMS and GC-MS experiments indicated that “fatty” “grass” “fruity” “ammonia” “citrus” “chocolate odor” and “mint and camphor” were identified as characteristic aromatic attributes of cigar tobacco leaves. These characteristic aromas were associated with compounds such as Ammonia, 3-Methylbutanal, Pentanal, 2-Butanone, D-limonene, Nonanal, 6-Methyl-5-heptadiene-2-one, Geraniol and Neophytadiene. This study provides insights into improving cigar quality and promoting the development of new products with unique aromatic characteristics.