Objective The purpose of this paper was to determine the odor characteristics and correlation between products by analyzing the aromatic substances in the pulp, seed oil and fruit oil of Xinjiang large berry sea buckthorn, and provide data support for the further development and authenticity identification of Xinjiang large berry sea buckthorn products.

Method In this study, solid phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to study the aroma of three main products of large berry sea buckthorn from Xinjiang of northwestern China. The odor components and odor activities of each product were characterized. The key odor components of the three products were investigated, classified and analyzed, and the odor characteristics of each product were clarified. The correlation between odor components of three sea buckthorn products was preliminarily explored through cluster thermograms and correlation plot.

Result 64 kinds of odor substances were detected in the three sea buckthorn products. Followed by sea buckthorn fruit oil, sea buckthorn pulp contained the most varieties of odor components while seed oil contained the least. The key contributors to the odor of sea buckthorn pulp and fruit oil were mostly esters, and the seed oil was mainly alcohols. The odor characteristics of sea buckthorn pulp and fruit oil were similar, both of which were mainly fruity and alcoholic, while sea buckthorn seed oil was mainly fruity, floral, and oily. Xinjiang large berry sea buckthorn pulp, seed oil, and fruit oil are rich in volatile components and have a unique aroma. Sea buckthorn pulp has a higher correlation with fruit oil, while seed oil has a lower correlation with the other two products.

Conclusion The results can provide a theoretical basis for the further processing and development of sea buckthorn products.