Comparative Analysis of Physicochemical Properties and Volatile Profile of Eight Varieties of Green Plums in Sichuan and Yunnan

The physicochemical properties and volatile composition of fruits are critical determinants of fruit quality and processing performance. This study evaluated major green plum cultivars from Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces by analyzing fruit morphology, nutritional composition, bioactive compounds, and volatile profiles. Multivariate statistical analyses, including orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis (CA), were applied to comprehensively assess cultivar-dependent quality differences. EH exhibited the highest total acid and glucose contents, whereas MD showed superior soluble solids, total sugars, solid–acid ratio, and several organic acids and sugars. Yunnan cultivars generally showed higher flavonoid contents and stronger antioxidant activities than Sichuan cultivars. Citric acid was the predominant organic acid. A total of 97 volatile compounds were identified. Ten volatile compounds were detected in all eight varieties, including butyl acetate, hexyl acetate, and butyl butyrate. EH and MD released the higher volatile, and PCA-based comprehensive evaluation ranked the cultivars as follows: EH, MD, EY, YZ, PX, EZ, DY and DN. Therefore, EH and MD exhibited superior overall quality in physicochemical properties and volatile composition. These findings provide a theoretical basis for evaluating green plum quality and their rational utilization in production and processing.