Fresh and grilled eel volatile fingerprinting by e-Nose, GC-O, GC–MS and GC × GC-QTOF combined with purge and trap and solvent-assisted flavor evaporation

• Published in: Food research international Vol. 115; pp. 32 - 43
• Main Authors: Huang, Xu-Hui, Zheng, Xu, Chen, Zeng-Hui, Zhang, Yu-Ying, Du, Ming, Dong, Xiu-Ping, Qin, Lei, Zhu, Bei-Wei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canada Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2019
• Subjects: Alcohols - analysis; Animals; E-Nose; Eel; Eels; Electronic Nose; Extraction methods; Fingerprinting; Fishes; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; GC × GC-QTOF; Ketones - analysis; Odorants - analysis; Seafood - analysis; Smell; Solvents - analysis; Taste; Volatile Organic Compounds - analysis; Volatiles; GC × GC-QTOF; Extraction methods; Fingerprinting; Eel; Volatiles; E-Nose
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2018.07.056

Fresh and grilled eel were investigated with respect to their volatile compounds and different fingerprinting techniques. An electronic nose (e-Nose) was applied to distinguish the odor between fresh and grilled eels. Purge and trap (P&T) and solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE) method were used to extract volatile compounds and further analyzed by a gas chromatographic combined with quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and a two-dimensional gas chromatographic combined with hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-QTOF). SAFE extracted more ketone, alcohol and high boiling volatiles in eels than P&T. Considering some distinct compounds extracted by P&T, a P&T and SAFE combined method was chosen. There were 155 volatiles detected in fresh and grilled eels, 93 volatiles were identified. Due to the higher peak capacity, GC × GC-QTOF detected 39 compounds more than GC–MS. The key characteristic volatiles of grilled eel were methyl propyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, heptane, octane, and camphene. Volatile fingerprinting can be a reference benchmark for identification and quality appraisal of fresh and grilled eel products. [Display omitted] •Fresh and grilled eel were investigated for their aroma and volatiles.•E-Nose could distinguish the sensory difference between fresh and grilled eel.•Volatile compounds extracted with P&T and SAFE were compared.•Volatile compounds were detected via using GC–MS and GC × GC-QTOF.