# Floral Scent Evaluation of Three Cut Flowers Through Sensorial and Gas Chromatography Analysis
###### Abstract  
The main function of floral scent is to attract and guide pollinators, but it is also an important character in the ornamental plant industry. Several studies have considered the chemical evaluation of floral scent during vase life, but only a few have considered sensorial analysis of this character, which is a very important quality trait for the marketing of ornamental plants. This study focused on assessing the floral scent of three fragrant cut flowers of high economic importance: Lilium, chrysanthemum, and freesia. Eighty individuals were included in a sensorial analysis where the attributes of floral scent liking and intensity were evaluated. The composition of the floral scent was analyzed through the collection of headspace followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The floral scents of oriental lily and freesia were perceived as more intense, compared to chrysanthemum. A total of 28 volatile compounds were detected and the monoterpens \(\beta\)-pinene (40.7 \(\pm\) 1.8 \(\mu\)g\(\cdot\)L\({}^{-1}\)), \(\beta\)-cis-ocimene (5552 \(\pm\) 990 \(\mu\)g\(\cdot\)L\({}^{-1}\)), and linalool (11,800 \(\pm\) 220 \(\mu\)g\(\cdot\)L\({}^{-1}\)) were the major volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in chrysanthemum, liliium, and freesia, respectively. The results presented in this study confirm that the concentration and abundance of volatile compounds is not directly related to the human perception of floral scent.  
Keywords: floral scent; GC-MS; vase life; sensorial analysis; monoterpens; cut flowers +
Footnote †: journal: Journal of the American Journal of the  
monoterpenoid and sesquiterpenoid, phenylpropanol, and benzenoid compounds have been commonly found as being emitted by flowers [6; 7]. A total of 1719 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in 991 species and isolated by head-space collection have been reviewed, considering 270 published studies [8].  
On the other hand, scent can also be assessed through sensory analysis, which is based on the perception by our olfactory system and is commonly used to identify consumer preferences [9], since this is the only method able to evaluate hedonic attributes. Several studies have found that our olfactory system is much more sensitive and complex than any other technique for the evaluation of scent [10]. Whereas through GC-MS specific VOCs can be identified, sensorial analysis allows the evaluation of the fragrance as a whole bouquet. Moreover, sensorial analysis has been used to demonstrate the positive effect of floral scent on human health through the analysis of psychophysiological responses of subjects exposed to the fragrance of Japanese plum blossom [11]. More recently, studies have combined an olfactory system with GC-MS, resulting in olfactory (GC-MS/O), which allows a qualitative assessment of odorous compounds [12] from products, such as meat [13] and fruits [14].  
Although several studies have considered the chemical evaluation of floral scent [15; 16; 17], very little information has been published related to sensorial analysis of this important characteristic for the marketing of ornamental plants. Most of the sensorial analyses have been performed to evaluate food [18] and beverages, such as juice and wine [19; 20].  
This study aimed to assess the floral scent of three fragrant cut flowers of high economic importance: Lilium, chrysanthemum, and freesia, considering both sensorial and GC-MS analysis.