The volatile composition, aroma profile and antioxidant capacity of Yijiangzi (Aatragalus sinicus L.) monofloral honey and its correlation with the flower

Yijiangzi honey is a well-known monofloral honey in China and also known as Chinese milk vetch (Aatragalus sinicus L.) honey (CMVH). In this study, GC-IMS and GC-O-MS methods were employed to identify the volatile and aroma active compounds of the CMVH and the flower (CMVF). For GC-IMS analysis, 23 of 27 detected volatiles in the CMVH could be observed in the CMVF, indicating that most of the volatiles might be derived directly from the flower. For GC-O-MS, 6 volatiles were identified as aroma-active compounds of CMVH due to their high odor activity values (OAVs), and ethyl 3-phenylpropionate was identified in the honey for the first time. Moreover, the CMVH and CMVF revealed efficient antioxidant capacities that might attribute to the relatively high contained total flavonoids contents (TFC) and total phenolic contents (TPC). The obtained results would be conducive to better understanding of the aroma profile and bioactivity of CMVH.