To gain insight into the differences in the composition and volatile components content in ancient Platycladus orientalis leaves with different tree ages in Huangdi Mausoleum, the volatile components were identified by headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) method. The volatile components were statistically analyzed by orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, and the characteristic volatile components were screened. The results exhibited that a total of 72 volatile components were isolated and identified in 19 ancient Platycladus orientalis leaves with different tree ages, and 14 common volatile components were screened. Among them, the contents of α-pinene (6.40-16.76%), sabinene (1.11-7.29%), 3-carene (1.14-15.12%), terpinolene (2.17-4.95%), caryophyllene (8.04-13.53%), α-caryophyllene (7.34-14.41%), germacrene D (5.27-12.13%), (+)-Cedrol (2.34-11.30%) and α-terpinyl acetate (1.29-25.68%) were relatively higher (>1%), accounting for 83.40-87.61% of the total volatile components. Nineteen ancient Platycladus orientalis trees were clustered into three groups through the HCA method based on the 14 common volatile components content. Combined with the results of OPLS-DA analysis, (+)-cedrol, germacrene D, α-caryophyllene, α-terpinyl acetate, caryophyllene, β-myrcene, β-elemene and epiglobulol were the differential volatile components to distinguish ancient Platycladus orientalis with different tree ages. The results revealed that the composition of the volatile components in ancient Platycladus orientalis leaves with different tree ages was different, showing different aroma characteristics, which provided a theoretical reference for the differential development and application of volatile components in ancient Platycladus orientalis leaves.

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