Characterization of aroma, aroma-active and bioactive compounds of resin, leaves, fruit and oils of wild (Pistacia lentiscus L.) and cultivated (Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia) forms of mastic tree

In this study, the shrub of the mastic tree (P. lentiscus L. leaves, raw and ripe fruits and oils) and the culture form (P. lentiscus var. Chia resin, leaf and leaf oil) were investigated for their aroma, aroma-active compounds, phenolic compounds, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, and sensory characteristics. GC-MS-Olfactometry was utilized for the identification of aroma and aroma-active compounds, while LC-MS-DAD-ESI devices were used for the detection of phenolic compounds. According to the aroma analysis, monoterpenes constituted the highest concentration in all samples, with α-pinene being detected in significant amounts. The dominant aroma-active compounds were identified as α-pinene (resinous) in the resin, 2-methoxy-3-(1-methylethyl)-pyrazine (herbaceous, green) in raw and ripe fruits, perillene (green) in raw fruit oil, p-cymenene (terpenic) in ripe fruit oil, and perillene (green, pea-like) and p-cymenene (terpenic) in male tree leaves, cultivated tree leaves, and their oils; p-cymenene (terpenic) was detected in female tree leaves and oil. Phenolic acids and flavonoids were found to be the dominant phenolic groups in fruits, leaves, and their oils. The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of raw fruit and its oil were higher than those of ripe fruit and its oil, indicating a decrease in antioxidant activity with ripening. The highest total phenolic content and antioxidant activity in leaves were determined in male tree leaves, while the lowest were in female tree leaves. In leaf oils, the highest total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were found in male tree leaf oils, and the lowest were in cultivated tree leaf oils. Sensory analysis was also conducted in the study, and the results were found to parallel the olfactometry results.