Characterization of the key odorants of ripe Capparis spinosa L. fruit and changes in concentrations after storage by means of molecular sensory science

[Display omitted] •Aroma components of ripe capparis spinosa L. fruit (RCF) were identified.•Thirteen odor-active compounds were reported for the first time in RCF.•Eleven compounds were determined as the key odorants of RCF.•Whether isothiocyanates contribute to overall aroma profile of RCF was studied. To characterize the key odorants in ripe Capparis spinosa L. fruit (RCF) and to investigate changes in the odorants after storage, volatiles were captured by both solid-phase microextraction and solvent extraction combined with solvent-assisted flavor evaporation; a total of 22 aroma-active regions were detected in the isolates by gas chromatography–olfactometry. Of 19 odor-active compounds identified positively, 13 odorants were found in RCF for the first time; their flavor dilution factors ranging from 1 to 512 were measured by an aroma extract dilution assay. Eleven odorants were determined as the key odorants by stable isotope dilution analysis, odor activity value (OAV) calculation, and recombination experiments. To further investigate the changes in odorants after storage, their concentrations and OAVs were determined. The results showed that the number of key odorants did not change before and after storage, but the concentrations of octanoic acid, sotolon, and 3-methylbutanoic acid increased markedly.