Abstract:In order to study the changes of flavor quality and sensory characteristics of ‘Huangguan’ pear during storage, this paper analyzes the flavor compounds affecting the changes of sensory characteristics of ‘Huangguan’ pear during storage by using flavor quality analysis and sensory evaluation combined with partial least squares regression (PLSR) method. Through 90 d cold storage and 7 d shelf-life storage, it is demonstrated that the glucose content in ‘Huangguan’ pear flesh increased from 14.73 mg/g to 18.29 mg/g, the total acid content decreases from 4.07 mg/g to 2.43 mg/g, and the content of malic acid, citric acid and quinic acid decreases from 1.98 mg/g, 1.02 mg/g, 0.82 mg/g to 1.38 mg/g, 0.64 mg/g, 0.26 mg/g, respectively; meanwhile, the content of esters, alcohols and alkenes increase and aldehydes content decrease both for ‘Huangguan’ pear flesh and peel. It is shown that the sweetness and aroma sensory attributes of ‘Huangguan’ pear increase, while the appearance, sourness and hardness sensory attributes of ‘Huangguan’ pear decrease, after 90 d cold storage and 7 d shelf-life storage by sensory evaluation results; PLSR is further used to screen the vital variables affecting the sensory attributes of ‘Huangguan’ pear. In addition, it is found that the sweetness of ‘Huangguan’ pear increases and the acidity and astringency decrease after 90 d cold storage and 7 d shelf-life storage by electronic tongue results and it is showed that the aroma characteristics of ‘Huangguan’ pear for 0 d post-storage are significantly different from the aroma characteristics of that after 90 d cold storage and 7 d shelf-life storage by electronic nose results. In conclusion, the relationships between the flavor quality and sensory characteristics of ‘Huangguan’ pear are analyzed in order to provide theoretical basis for the flavor quality evaluation.