Identification and comparison of 101 floral aroma components in 19 herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora) cultivars

• 101 scent-related compounds were identified from 19 peony cultivars. • ‘Lorelei’ and ‘Sea Shell' had the highest and lowest levels of aroma, respectively. • Flower color and form were not correlated with the floral aroma components. • 53 of the 101 compounds matched the five aroma types described in odor database. • Seven compounds with high OAVs distributed across six cultivars were identified. Herbaceous peony ( Paeonia lactiflora ) is a plant widely known for its ornamental, edible, and medicinal properties. The flower fragrance is a highly significant feature in ornamental plants. In this study, 619 volatile compounds were identified in 19 peony cultivars by GC-QTOF, with 101 scent-related compounds. ‘Lorelei’ and ‘Sea Shell' cultivars had the highest and lowest abundance of floral aroma compounds at 982.52 µg g −1 and 14.48 µg g −1 , respectively. Flower color and form were not significantly correlated with the floral aroma components. The results showed that six cultivars exhibited the highest contents of most compounds. The analysis demonstrated that 53 compounds matched the five aroma types described in odor database. The distribution of the compounds was 17 in floral type, 13 in fruity , 8 in sweet , 7 in herbal and 8 in woody type. The odor activity value (OAV) and sensorial aroma scores (SA) were consistent for the Rank 1st odor type among the 12 selected peony cultivars, whereas the 2nd Rank and other types exhibited a decrease in consistency between OVAV and SA, which can be attributed to the limitation of human noses in distinguishing mixed odors. Seven compounds with high OAVs (>1000) distributed across six cultivars were identified. These findings provide key insights into the development of new flavored products and other applications dependent on the aroma compounds in peony as well as selecting potential breeding cultivars for improving the production of fragrance.