Fragrant peanut oils (FPOs) are commonly defined as edible peanut oils having strong natural roasted peanut flavor without peculiar unpleasant odors and produced from peanut kernels through roasting/steaming and pressing operations, etc. The flavor of FPOs plays a crucial role in their acceptability and applications and their flavor profiles are an important factor in determining their overall quality. This paper presents a systematic literature review of recent advances and knowledge on FPOs, especially their flavors, in which it is focused on the evaluation of volatile compounds, the factors influencing the formation of flavor compounds, and formation mechanisms of those typical flavor compounds. More than 300 volatiles are found in FPOs, while some key aroma-active compounds and their potential formation pathways are examined. Factors that have big influences on flavor are discussed also, including the properties of raw materials, processing technologies, and storage conditions. Ultimately, the paper highlights the challenges facing, including the challenges in flavor analysis, the relationship between volatile compounds and sensory attributes, as well as the opening of the blackboxes of flavor formations during the processing steps, etc.

Beer fish is characterized by its distinctive spicy flavor and strong beer aroma. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive research analyzing the changes in taste and volatile compounds that occur during the processing of beer fish. Thus, this study used HS-GC-IMS, electronic tongue, and electronic nose to investigate the changes in flavor components during various processing stages of beer fish. The obtained results were subsequently analyzed using multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed that the final beer fish product (SF) had the greatest amount of free amino acids (888.28 mg/100 g), with alanine, glutamic acid, and glycine contributing to the taste of SF. The inosine monophosphate (IMP) content of beer fish meat varied noticeably depending on processing stages, with deep-fried fish (FF) having the greatest IMP content (61.93 mg/100 g), followed by the final product (SF) and ultrasonic-cured fish (UF). A total of 67 volatiles were detected by GC-IMS, mainly consisting of aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols, of which aldehydes accounted for >37%, which had a great influence on the volatile flavor of beer fish. The flavor components\' composition varied noticeably depending on the stage of processing. PLS-DA model screened 35 volatile flavor components (VIP > 1) as markers; the most significant differences were 1-propanethiol, isoamyl alcohol, ethanol, and eucalyptol. Ultrasonic processing, frying, and soaking sauce can significantly improve the formation of flavor compounds, resulting in a notable enhancement of the final beer fish\'s umami taste and overall flavor quality.

Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (CRP) is a traditional herbal and food spice, the flavor and active compounds content of Xinhui CRP improves with aging. To investigate the pattern of microbial community succession during the aging of Xinhui CRP and its correlation with changes in flavor compounds, the high-throughput sequencing, HPLC, and GC-IMS were used to analyze the microbial community, flavonoids, and flavor compounds of five different aging years in this study. The results revealed different dominant microbial communities in Xinhui CRP at different aging time, and unclassified Bacteria were the predominant bacterial genus during 10-15 years of aging. As the aging time increases, the abundance of microbial community decreases and gradually stabilizes. At the fungal genus level, Xeromyces (>99 %) were the dominant genus during the 10-15 years aging time and had a significant correlation with polymethoxyflavones (PMFs), and the concentrations of PMFs increased with the progression of aging years. The GC-IMS results revealed distinctive flavor profiles in Xinhui CRP across different aging years, floral and fruity aromas, such as heptanal, 3-methyl-3-butenol, and 1-butanol, among others, with increasing aging years. A comprehensive correlation analysis further elucidates the close relationship between the core microorganism community and flavor formation in Xinhui CRP (p < 0.05). Notably, Pseudomonas and Escherichia Shigella exhibited significant correlations with beta-pinene and alpha-pinene, whereas Aureobasidium and Sarcopodium were associated with nerol and α-phellandrene (p < 0.05). This study provides new ideas for accelerating the good quality and flavor of Xinhui CRP during the aging process from the perspective of key microorganisms.

Chicken is renowned as the most affordable meat option, prized by consumers worldwide for its unique flavor, and universally recognized for its essential savory flavor. Current research endeavors are increasingly dedicated to exploring the flavor profile of chicken meat. However, there is a noticeable gap in comprehensive reviews dedicated specifically to the flavor quality of chicken meat, although existing reviews cover meat flavor profiles of various animal species. This review aims to fill this gap by synthesizing knowledge from published literature to describe the compounds, chemistry reaction, influencing factors, and sensory evaluation associated with chicken meat flavor. The flavor compounds in chicken meat mainly included water-soluble low-molecular-weight substances and lipids, as well as volatile compounds such as aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, acids, esters, hydrocarbons, furans, nitrogen, and sulfur-containing compounds. The significant synthesis pathways of flavor components were Maillard reaction, Strecker degradation, lipid oxidation, lipid-Maillard interaction, and thiamine degradation. Preslaughter factors, including age, breed/strain, rearing management, muscle type, and sex of chicken, as well as postmortem conditions such as aging, cooking conditions, and low-temperature storage, were closely linked to flavor development and accounted for the significant differences observed in flavor components. Moreover, the sensory methods used to evaluate the chicken meat flavor were elaborated. This review contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the flavor profile of chicken meat. It can serve as a guide for enhancing chicken meat flavor quality and provide a foundation for developing customized chicken products.

Broad bean paste (BBP) is a traditional fermented soy food, and its high salt content not only prolongs the fermentation time but also threatens human health. In this study, three BBP-meju with different salt concentrations were prepared, and the effects of varying salinity on fermentation were comprehensively compared. The results showed that salt-reduced fermentation contributed to the accumulation of amino acid nitrogen, reducing sugars, free amino acids, and organic acids. Alcohols, esters, aldehydes, and acids were the main volatile flavor compounds in BBP-meju, and the highest total volatile flavor compounds were found in medium-salt meju. Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Aspergillus, and Mortierella were the dominant microbial communities during fermentation, and there were also three opportunistic pathogens, Enterobacter, Pantoea, and Brevundimonas, respectively. According to Spearman correlation analysis, Wickerhamomyces, Bacillus, Staphylococcus, and Mortierella all showed highly significant positive correlations with ≥3 key flavor compounds, which may be the core functional flora. Furthermore, the dominant microbial genera worked synergistically to promote the formation of high-quality flavor compounds and inhibit the production of off-flavors during salt-reduced fermentation. This study provides a theoretical reference for the quality and safety control of low-salt fermented soy foods.

Designing a pasteurization con dition for sweet lime juice while ensuring microbial safety, enzymatic stability, and high nutritional quality is crucial for satisfying stakeholder demands. The present research investigates the effects of matrix pH, ultrasound treatments, and sequential pulsed light on the microbial population, enzyme activity, and bioactive chemicals in sweet lime juice. The sequential pulsed light (PL: 0.6-0.84 J/cm2) and ultrasound (US: 0.2-0.4 W/cm3) treatments for sweet lime juice were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). A three-factor full factorial design was used for this purpose. The independent variables encompassed pH (X1), PL effective fluence (X2, J/cm2), and US intensity (X3, W/cm3). The responses assessed included the inactivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Y1, log cfu/mL) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO: Y2 in %) and the retention of vitamin C (Y3, %). The polynomial models were optimized using numerical optimization to attain the maximum desirability value (0.89). The optimized PL + US sample (0.8 J/cm2 + 0.4 W/cm3, respectively) at pH 3.5 resulted in a 5-log cycle reduction in S. cerevisiae count and a 90% inactivation in PPO activity and retained 95% of its vitamin C content. This optimized sample underwent further analysis, including phenolic profiling, assessment of microbial cell morphology, and examination of enzyme conformational changes. After sequential pulsed-light (0.8 J/cm2) and ultrasound (0.4 W/cm3) treatments, yeast cells showed unusual structural changes, indicating additional targets besides membranes. Following PL + US treatment, the PPO composition changed to 2.7 ± 0.1% α-helix, 33.9 ± 0.3% β-sheet, 1.4 ± 0.2% β-turn, and 62 ± 0.7% random coil. Impressively, the optimized PL + US sample maintained a sensory acceptance level similar to that of the untreated sample.

Yogurt is popular as a natural and healthy food, but its flavor greatly affects acceptability by consumers. Flavor compounds of yogurt is generally produced by the metabolism of lactose, protein and fat, and the resulting flavors include carbonyls, acids, esters and alcohols, etc. Each flavor compounds could individually provide the corresponding flavor, or it can be combined with other compounds to form a new flavor. The flavor network was formed among the metabolites of milk components, and acetaldehyde, as the central compounds, played a role in connecting the whole network. The flavor compounds can be affected by many factors, such as the use of different raw milks, ways of homogenization, sterilization, fermentation, post ripening, storage condition and packaging materials, etc., which can affect the overall flavor of yogurt. This paper provides an overview of the volatile flavor compounds in yogurt, the pathways of production of the main flavor compounds during yogurt fermentation, and the factors that influence the flavor of yogurt including type of raw milk, processing, and storage. It also tries to provide theoretical guidance for the product of yogurt in ideal flavor, but further research is needed to provide a more comprehensive description of the flavor system of yogurt.

Elevating the flavor profile of strong flavors Baijiu has always been a focal point in the industry, and pit mud (PM) serves as a crucial flavor contributor in the fermentation process of the fermented grains (FG). This study investigated the influence of wheat flour and bran (MC and FC) as PM culture enrichment media on the microbiota and metabolites of FG, aiming to inform strategies for improving strong-flavor Baijiu flavor. Results showed that adding PM cultures to FG significantly altered its properties: FC enhanced starch degradation to 51.46% and elevated reducing sugar content to 1.60%, while MC increased acidity to 2.11 mmol/10 g. PM cultures also elevated FG\'s ester content, with increases of 0.36 times for MC-FG60d and 1.48 times for FC-FG60d compared to controls, and ethyl hexanoate rising by 0.91 times and 1.39 times, respectively. Microbial analysis revealed that Lactobacillus constituted over 95% of the Abundant bacteria community, with Kroppenstedtia or Bacillus being predominant among Rare bacteria. Abundant fungi included Rasamsonia, Pichia, and Thermomyces, while Rare fungi consisted of Rhizopus and Malassezia. Metagenomic analysis revealed bacterial dominance, primarily consisting of Lactobacillus and Acetilactobacillus (98.80-99.40%), with metabolic function predictions highlighting genes related to metabolism, especially in MC-FG60d. Predictions from PICRUSt2 suggested control over starch, cellulose degradation, and the TCA cycle by fungal subgroups, while Abundant fungi and bacteria regulated ethanol and lactic acid production. This study highlights the importance of PM cultures in the fermentation process of FG, which is significant for brewing high-quality, strong-flavor Baijiu.

To determine the effect of cofermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and different LABs on prune wine quality, this study compared phenolic compounds, organic acids, soluble sugars, biogenic amines and volatile flavor compounds among different treatments. The results showed that inoculation of LAB increased DPPH and total flavonoid content. Malic acid content was reduced in HS, HB and HF. Histamine content in S, F and B was lower than the limits in French and Australian wines. 15 phenolic compounds were identified. Yangmeilin and chlorogenic acid were detected only in HS, HF and HB. 51 volatile flavor compounds were identified, esters being the most diverse and abundant. 14 volatile flavor compounds with OAV > 1 contributed highly to the aroma of prune wine. 9 chemical markers including resveratrol, rutin, and catechin were screened to explain intergroup differences by OPLS-DA. This study provides new insights into the processing and quality analysis of prunes.

Huangjiu is a spontaneously fermented alcoholic beverage, that undergoes intricate microbial compositional changes. This study aimed to unravel the flavor and quality formation mechanisms based on the microbial metabolism of Huangjiu. Here, metagenome techniques, chemometrics analysis, and headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) metabolomics combined with microbial metabolic network were employed to investigate the distinctions and relationship between the microbial profiles and the quality characteristics, flavor metabolites, functional metabolic patterns of Huangjiu across three regions. Significant variations (P < 0.05) were observed in metabolic rate of physicochemical parameters and biogenic amine concentration among three regions. 8 aroma compounds (phenethyl acetate, phenylethyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, ethyl octanoate, ethyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, isoamyl alcohol, and diethyl succinate) out of 448 volatile compounds were identified as the regional chemical markers. 25 dominant microbial genera were observed through metagenomic analysis, and 13 species were confirmed as microbial markers in three regions. A metabolic network analysis revealed that Saccharomycetales (Saccharomyces), Lactobacillales (Lactobacillus, Weissella, and Leuconostoc), and Eurotiales (Aspergillus) were the predominant populations responsible for substrate, flavor (mainly esters and phenylethyl alcohol) metabolism, Lactobacillales and Enterobacterales were closely linked with biogenic amine. These findings provide scientific evidence for regional microbial contributions to geographical characteristics of Huangjiu, and perspectives for optimizing microbial function to promote Huangjiu quality.