Objective In order to provide theoretical data support for screening out Jasminum spp. germplasm with excellent aroma quality, and to provide scientific basis for excellent germplasm in production application and high value product development, such as tea scenting, essential oil processing and potted flower cultivation, the volatile composition of flower buds in 14 Jasminum germplasms were analyzed and evaluated.

Method This study involved measuring and systematically comparing the composition of volatile components in flower buds of 14 Jasminum germplasms by using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The diversity and quality of the aroma in the flower buds were analyzed and evaluated through shared component analysis, principal component analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis, and aroma evaluation indexes.

Result A total of 128 kinds of volatile components were identified from 14 Jasminum germplasms,the relative content of alkenes, enols, and esters is relatively high, but the composition of volatile components varied greatly among the tested germplasm. Extracting 14 main volatile components from 14 jasminum germplasms, which may be the key volatile components contributing to the differences aroma among the Jasminum germplasms. The results of hierarchical clustering analysis and principal component analysis of 14 Jasminum germplasm volatile components composition were consistent; the volatile components composition of Jasminum multiflorum and Jasminum auriculatum ‘Xiangfei 8’ were distincted from the other tested germplasms; the open pollination lines of Jasminum sambac ‘Thailand double layers’ existence trait separation, with significant differences in the volatile components composition; the volatile components compositions of J. sambac ‘Thailand double layers’ and its open pollination line 19024 were close to that of Jasminum grandiflorum. The Jasmine tea flavor (JTF) index can be used to reasonably evaluate the aroma quality of jasminum germplasm buds, the results of aroma quality evaluation indicated that J. sambac and J. grandiflorum have a high aroma advantage among the Jasminum plants. J. sambac ‘Xiangfei 4’, J. sambac ‘Xiangfei 2’, J. sambac ‘Xiangfei 1’ and J. grandiflorum exhibited the best aroma quality, the aroma quality is higher than the main cultivated variety (J. sambac ‘Hengxian double layers’).and the volatile component with the highest relative content in their flower buds is α-farnesene, is the key volatile components that determine aroma quality.

Conclusion The volatile components of 14 Jasminum germplasms were diverse in composition and varied greatly among species. The open pollination line 19024 of J. sambac ‘Thailand double layers’ has the application prospect in flavour chemicals and ornamental potted flowers. Varieties J. sambac Xiangfei 4, J. sambac Xiangfei 2, J. sambac Xiangfei 1 and J. grandiflorum have the valuable for promotion inflower tea scenting and spice processing.