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Characterization of Species- and Sex-Dependent Volatile and Non-Volatile Flavor Profiles in Three Commercially Important Mussel Species

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The flavor characteristics of three commercially important, cultivated mussel species (Mytilus coruscus, Mytilus galloprovincialis, and Perna viridis) were investigated through analyses of free amino acids, organic acids, 5′-nucleotides, fatty acids, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Distinct differences among species–sex groups were observed in both volatile and non-volatile flavor compounds. M. coruscus and M. galloprovincialis showed greater umami potential than P. viridis. Female M. galloprovincialis exhibited the highest equivalent umami concentration (EUC) (2.56 ± 0.21 g MSG/100 g), whereas male M. galloprovincialis and male M. coruscus contained the highest levels of sweet-tasting amino acids (605.42 ± 28.72 mg/100 g) and umami-tasting amino acids (209.29 ± 13.31 mg/100 g), respectively. Gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) analysis identified 67 volatile compounds, and 12 key discriminative volatiles were selected, including three aldehydes, four ketones, three alcohols, 2-ethylfuran, and acetic acid. Males generally showed higher omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs)and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-6 PUFAs) proportions than females, with the highest ω-3 PUFAs proportion in male M. coruscus (45.12 ± 0.22%) and the highest ω-6 PUFAs proportion in male P. viridis (8.13 ± 0.30%). Correlation analysis suggested that ω-6 PUFAs were more closely associated with aldehydes, whereas ω-3 PUFAs were more closely associated with alcohols and ketones. These associations provide preliminary evidence for understanding flavor differences among cultivated mussel groups.

Source: Foods

DOI: 10.3390/foods15162915