Abstract:The gonad of steamed Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is popular among Chinese population, owing to its delicious taste and savory flavor. To explore the unique aroma composition, the volatiles in the gonad of steamed Chinese mitten crab were studied by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry-olfactometry (GC/MS-O) combined with monolithic material sorptive extraction (MMSE). Thirty seven odorants were detected from the gonads of steamed males and females of E. sinensis by two GC-O methods: detection frequency methods and time-intensity methods. Among them, 23 and 34 compounds were detected in the gonads of steamed female and male crab samples, respectively; 20 compounds were commonly found in both types of crab samples. Aldehydes were the main contributors to the typical aroma of the gonad of steamed Chinese mitten crab; (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal was the most important odorant compound. Owing to its high content, trimethylamine was also an important odorant compound in the steamed Chinese mitten crab with a relatively high detection frequency and odor intensity in the GC-O study.
