Volatile compounds in fingerroot were identified by gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC- MS) combined with headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) using a capillary column of HP-5MS (30 m × 0.25 mm × 0. 25 μm) . Using an experimental design called single factor optimaization combined with central composite design, the following optimal HS- SPME conditions were obtained: extraction temperature of 40 °C and extraction time of 30 minutes for rootlet, but 70 °C and 60 minutes for rhizome. Thirty volatile compounds were identified by comparing their mass spectra with those in the NIST08 database. Using principal components analysis (PCA), the fingerroot could be classified into four groups with different patterns of PCA, in consistent with their geographical origins: Nakhon Pathom, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun and Ranong. This indicates that HS- SPME-GC-MS combined with chemometrics can be used for identification of the volatile compounds in the fingerroot from different geographical origins.
