As one of the unique Chinese medicinal materials in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,in order to compare the effects of different drying methods on the quality and volatile components of Lycium barbarum fruits from Qaidam was comparied. L. barbarum fruits samples were dried by differernt methods including natural shade,hot air,vacuum freeze and microwave drying.Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) was used to compare the changes of volatile components in the fresh  L. barbarum fruits and various dried  L. barbarum fruits after different treatments.The spectrogram differences of volatile components were compared and principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out.A total of 52 kinds of volatile organic compounds and monomers or dimers of some substances were detected from the samples,including aldehydes,olefinic aldehydes,esters,ketones and alcohols.The diagrams of difference and principal component analysis showed that the volatile organic compounds in  L. barbarum fruits have changed significantly after drying.The types and contents of volatile organic substances in  L. barbarum fruits after freeze drying are similar to those of fresh  L. barbarum fruits,but are quite different from those dried by other drying methods.The content of volatile organic compounds in the dried  L. barbarum fruits after hot air drying and microwave drying is very similar.Establishment of a method for the detection and analysis of volatile components in L. barbarum fruits by GC-IMS.The results show that compared with other drying methods,the freeze-drying method can effectively retain the volatile components in  L. barbarum fruits,so that  L. barbarum fruits maintains a higher quality.The results provide a certain reference for the subsequent quality evaluation and processing of  L. barbarum fruits.

"> Lycium barbarum from Qaidam, diffenernt drying methods, volatile flavor compounds, gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry, principal component analysis