Comparison of Volatile Flavor Compounds in Meat of the Blue Crab Using V-SDE and SPME Methods

Abstract

Volatile flavor compounds in meat of the blue crab Portunus trituberculatus were compared using vacuum simultaneous steam distillation-solvent extraction (V-SDE) and solid phase microextraction (SPME)/ gas chromatography (GC)/ mass selective detection (MSD) methods. A total of 100 volatile flavor compounds were identified by both methods: 77 by V-SDE and 59 by SPME. These compounds were composed of 17 aldehydes, 12 ketones, 19 alcohols, 5 esters, 4 sulfur-containing compounds, 6 nitrogen-containing compounds, 23 aromatic compounds, 6 hydrocarbons, 2 terpenes, and 6 miscellaneous compounds. Although more compounds were detected using V-SDE than using SPME, the levels of all groups detected, except esters, were higher using SPME than using V-SDE. In addition to trimethylamine, aldehydes, and aromatic compounds, the S- and N-containing compounds with low thresholds are thought to have positive roles for flavors in the meat of the blue crab.