Pickled radish is a local specialty fermented food, loved for its unique flavor. In this study, the volatile components of pickled radish from different years were identified and analyzed, and 82 volatile metabolites were finally identified and 39 volatile differential metabolites were screened out, which showed that the contents of γ-butyrolactone, 3-furaldehyde and ethyl lactate showed an increasing trend. Odor activity value (OAV) analysis showed that 3-furaldehyde, dimethyl tetrasulphide and linolenic acid were important aroma components in pickled radish. In addition, the potential pathways for the formation of volatile metabolites in pickled radish were preliminarily constructed based on the KEGG database, in which alcohols, aldehydes and acids contributed to the formation of the unique flavor of pickled radish. The present study reveals the systematic changes of volatile metabolites in pickled radish and provides a new perspective to understand the changes of its flavor characteristics.
Keywords: Aroma components; Fermentation; OAV; Pickled radish; Volatile metabolites.
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