Investigation of Volatile Compounds in Varied Types of Gardenia White Teas Utilizing HS–SPME–GC–MS and Multivariate Analysis

Gardenia tea is esteemed for its delicate and fragrant aroma. Background: However, there is a scarcity of studies focused on the aromatic properties of gardenia-scented white tea, particularly regarding how these aroma profiles evolve over different storage durations. Methods: This research sought to analyze the volatile compounds present in gardenia white tea through headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography–-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) alongside multivariate analysis techniques. Results: Findings indicated that the main chemical categories found in newly white tea (NWT), aged white tea (AWT), gardenia newly white tea (GNWT), and gardenia aged white tea (GAWT) included esters, terpenoids and ketones. The multivariate analysis pinpointed 11 significant volatile compounds (such as linalool, [(Z)-non-6-enyl] acetate, and (E)-non-4-enal) and an 10 additional key volatile compounds (including linalool,[(Z)-non-6-enyl] acetate, and 1-isothiocyanato-3-(methylthio)-2-Propane) that had variable importance in projection (VIP) values exceeding 2 and odor activity values (OAVs) greater than 1. These compounds effectively distinguished the aroma profiles of GNWT from NWT and GAWT from AWT. Notably, the levels of these compounds were significantly elevated in GNWT and GAWT compared to their NWT and AWT counterparts. Additionally, three volatile compounds in GNWT and six in GAWT showed a decline in concentration relative to NWT and AWT. Conclusions: These compositional differences are suggested to clarify the aromatic distinctions between gardenia-scented white tea and its white tea base. The outcomes of this study will contribute to a deeper chemical understanding of the unique aroma of gardenia white tea, providing a theoretical basis for assessing quality and developing products based on different storage periods.