Assessment of the ‘taro-like’ aroma of pumpkin fruit (Cucurbita moschata D.) via E-nose, GC–MS and GC-O analysis

‘Taro-like’ aroma is a pleasant flavor and value-added trait in pumpkin species imparted by unknown key volatile compounds. In this study, we used the electronic nose (E-nose), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and GC-Olfactometry (GC-O) to study the aroma profile, volatile compounds, and key contributors, respectively. By E-nose and GC–MS, we found significant differences in the aroma profiles and volatile compounds between fruits from five samples with/without ‘taro-like’ aroma. According to the analysis of differential volatile compounds obtained from GC–MS and the GC-O analysis of the sample with ‘taro-like’ aroma, we found that 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline representing the ‘taro’ odor was only identified in the sample with ‘taro-like’ aroma. Therefore, we conclude that 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline is the key contributor to the 'taro-like' aroma. Moreover, the relationship between 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline and ‘taro-like’ aroma was further verified via other pumpkin samples. Our results provide a theoretical basis for understanding the aroma characteristics of pumpkin fruit.