Differentiating Huangjiu with Varying Sugar Contents from Different Regions Based on Targeted Metabolomics Analyses of Volatile Carbonyl Compounds

is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world. It is usually made by fermenting grains, and Qu is used as a saccharifying and fermenting agent. In this study, we identified differential carbonyl compounds in with varying sugar contents from different regions. First, we developed and validated a detection method for volatile carbonyl compounds in , and for optimal extraction, 5 mL of and 1.3 g/L of O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine hydrochloride (PFBHA) were incubated at 45 °C for 5 min before extracting the volatile carbonyl compounds at 45 °C for 35 min. Second, the targeted quantitative analysis of 50 carbonyl compounds in showed high levels of Strecker aldehydes and furans. Finally, orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was used to differentiate between with different sugar contents, raw materials, and region of origin. A total of 19 differential carbonyl compounds (VIP > 1, < 0.05) were found in with different sugar contents (semidry and semisweet ), and 20 differential carbonyl compounds (VIP > 1, < 0.05) were found in different raw materials for production (rice and nonrice ). A total of twenty-two and eight differential carbonyl compounds, with VIP > 1 and < 0.05, were identified in semidry and semisweet from different regions (Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Fujian), respectively.