Characterization of volatile components of Kangra orthodox black tea by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

To characterize Kangra tea flavour, volatile components of Kangra orthodox black tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) were isolated by two different methods viz. simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE) and hydrodistillation, and analysed by GC–MS. The composition of the volatile components extracted by the two methods differed considerably. A total of 101 compounds were tentatively identified in Kangra tea by matching EI mass spectra and retention indices with the literature data. Fifty compounds, constituting the major part of the volatiles (98.4 ± 0.4%) were detected in all the three replicates of made tea obtained by SDE. Major volatile components identified in Kangra tea were (E)-2-hexenal, 1-pentene-3-ol, and (Z)-3-hexenol among non-terpenoids and linalool, linalool oxides (furanoid), geraniol, methyl salicylate, 3,7-dimethyl-1,5,7-octatrien-3-ol, and epoxylinalol among terpenoids. The total volatile oil yield was about 0.02% by Clevenger type apparatus. SDE was found to be a more efficient technique than the other distillation processes for characterizing volatile components in terms of sample size and components extracted, and the extracted flavour was also closer to Kangra made tea.