Characterization of the potent odorants in Zanthoxylum armatum DC Prodr. pericarp oil by application of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry–olfactometry and odor activity value

•Thirty-two odor-active compounds identified in Zanthoxylum armatum DC Prodr. pericarp oil.•Sixteen compounds with OAV ≥ 1 were determined in the oil.•Linalool was the predominant odorant based on both AEDA and OAV determination.•The chiral structure of linalool in the oil was identified as S-(+)-linalool. Zanthoxylum armatum DC Prodr. pericarp (ZAP) is an important spice because of its unique odor and taste. ZAP oil was obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. To characterize potent odorants in ZAP oil, volatiles were isolated by headspace solid-phase microextraction and solvent-assisted flavor evaporation. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry–olfactometry analyses identified a total of 32 odor-active compounds, and their flavor dilution (FD) factors, ranging from 2 to 4096, were measured by aroma extract dilution analysis. To further determine their contributions to the characteristic odor of ZAP oil, 24 odorants with FD factors ≥8 were quantitated, and their odor activity values (OAVs) were calculated. Sixteen compounds with OAVs ≥1 contributed to the characteristic aroma profile of ZAP oil. Linalool had the highest FD factor, concentration and OAV, and its chiral structure was identified as S-(+)-linalool.