Analysis of Volatile Components and Quality Evaluation of Green Mandarin Tea From Different Sources Based on GC-MS

Abstract

To evaluate the suitability of different citrus varieties for making green mandarin tea and thus expand its raw-material base, immature fruits of Chachiensis (Citrus reticulata blanco cv. Chachiensis), Ponkan (Citrus reticulata blanco cv. Ponkan), Quju (Citrus reticulata “Quju”), Yuzu (Citrus junos Sieb. ex Tanaka), and Unshiu (Citrus reticulata “Unshiu”) were used as peels and coprocessed with black tea via a sun-drying plus hot-air protocol. We systematically compared their volatile profiles, sensory attributes, and nutritional quality. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) showed that products based on Chachiensis, Quzhou Ponkan, and seedless Ponkan shared similar aroma compositions dominated by D-limonene and γ-terpinene. In contrast, the Yuzu-based product uniquely contained spathulenol and α-copaene, yielding a characteristic aroma spectrum. Sensory evaluation indicated that the Yuzu-based product achieved the highest overall score (75.28/100), with well-balanced flavor and a lasting sweet aftertaste; Ponkan-based products also performed well. In the nutritional assessment, the Yuzu-based product had the highest water extract, whereas Ponkan-based products exhibited significantly higher total flavonoid and total phenol contents than the other groups. Collectively, Ponkan and Yuzu emerge as favorable source materials for green mandarin tea, excelling in nutritional value and distinctive flavor, respectively.