Abstract: The headspace constituents released from fresh flowers of three different Osmanthus fragrans Lour. during different florescences were investigated by means of headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to GC-MS. The main volatile fragrans from fresh flowers of three different O.fragrans during different florescences were also studied. In this study, 22 volatile compounds were identified in O. fragrans var. thunbergii, 18 volatile compounds were identified in O. fragrans var.latifolius, 8 volatile compounds were identified in O. fragrans var. aurantiacus. (E)-ocimene,4-hexenyl acetate, cis-linalool oxide, trans-linalool oxide, β-linalool, trans-geraniol, τ-decalactone were the same volatiles released from fresh flowers of three different O. fragrans, so their fragrans had some resemblance. However, the fragrans in O. fragrans var. thunbergii were fragran and sweet because the contents of α-ionone,β-ionone and τ-decalactone were higher than others. The fragrans in O. fragrans var.latifolius were simple and elegant because the content of ocimene was higher than others. The fragrans in O.fragrans var. aurantiacus were less fragran and sweet, because there are no α-ionone, β-ionone and ocimene in it. The results indicated that headspace SPME-GC-MS afforded a simple sampling method for identification of the main volatile fragrance from fresh flowers during different florescences.

Key words: Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii, Osmanthus fragrans var. latifolius, Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus, fragrance, solid-phase microextraction (SPME)