Abstract: The aroma components of high-bush blueberry were analyzed using early, middle, later cultivars by static headspace and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results showed that the main volatile compounds were alcohols, esters, and terpenes for high-bush blueberry. The sixty-seven kinds of volatile components were detected and there were distinct differences between the cultivars, in which 16 kinds, 17 kinds, 27 kinds, 13 kinds, 26 kinds, 25 kinds were detected in Duke, Bluejay, Bluecrop, Jersey, Elliot, Darrow, respectively. The character impact components (CICs) of Duke were ethyl butanoate, damascenone, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, D-limonene, and 2-butanone. The CICs of Bluejar were ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl butanoate, and butyl acetate. The CICs of Bluecrop were ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, (E)-3-Hexenyl acetate, β-linalool, ethyl butanoate, hexyl acetate, (E)-2-hexenal, and (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol. The CICs of Jersey were ionone, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl butanoate. The CICs of Elliot were hexyl acetate, β-linalool, D-limonene, hexanal. The CICs of Darrow were ethyl butanoate, hexyl acetate, D-limonene, andβ-linalool. The unique flavor of high-bush blueberry cultivars was formed because of interaction between these CICs.

Key words: highbush blueberry, aromatic components, GC/MS