Visualization of mulberry tea quality using an electronic sensor array, SPME-GC/MS, and sensory evaluation

• Published in: Food bioscience 2020-08, Vol.36, p.100593, Article 100593
• Main Authors: Ruengdech, Anchalee, Siripatrawan, Ubonrat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemometrics; Herbal tea; Morus alba; Mulberry leaves
• ISSN: 2212-4292; 2212-4306
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2020.100593

The consumption of herbal teas is increasing due to their special flavors and health benefits. Their flavor and chemical compositions vary depending on the plants used. Effective measurement of herbal teas is, thus, important to ensure its quality. This study proposed a rapid and nondestructive electronic sensor array (e-nose) coupled with chemometrics to visualize volatile profiles of herbal teas of different quality. Sensory attributes and volatile profiles of herbal mulberry teas prepared from mulberry leaves of three different cultivars were investigated. Descriptive analysis was used to describe the organoleptic quality of the samples. Volatile compounds of the teas were measured using solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and an e-nose. The distinct patterns of volatile profiles and the intensities of different samples were observed. Principal components analysis and linear discriminant analysis were used to explore and classify the volatiles. The e-nose has proven to be a nondestructive, fast, and reliable method for quality classification of the herbal mulberry teas. The technique has a potential as an alternative tool for rapid quality measurement of raw materials and end products of the herbal teas. Comparison of human brain performance and e-nose for quality classification of mulberry tea. [Display omitted] •Volatile profiles and sensory quality of mulberry tea were influenced by cultivar.•E-nose results were consistent with those of GC/MS and sensory evaluation.•E-nose can be used to classify the quality of mulberry leaf tea.