Abstract: In this study, our purpose was to investigate the effect of mild salting on the flavor of large yellow croaker. The volatile flavor compounds of raw (unsalted) and low-salted large yellow croaker were determined by solid phase microextraction (SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and evaluated by gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) and odor activity values (OAV) analysis. The GC-MS analysis showed that the contents of hexanal, nonanal, heptanal, 1-octene-3-ol, anethole and hexanol in both samples were higher than those of other volatile compounds identified. GC-O and OAV analysis showed that the flavor of raw large yellow croaker was significantly affected by 1-octene-3-ol, octanal, nonanal, hexanal, heptanal, (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, trans-2-octenal and anethole (OAV > 1); the flavor of low-salted large yellow croaker was significantly affected by linalool, nonanal, hexanal, octanal, 1-octene-3-ol, anethole, (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal and heptanal (OAV > 1). The changes in flavor after salting treatment was attributed to a significant increase in the OAV of linalool and anethole, and a significant decrease in the OAV of 1-octene-3-ol, hexanal, nonanal, trans-2-octenal, (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, heptanal and octanal. The changes of some flavor components might be related to reactions such as the oxidative degradation of unsaturated fatty acids, the biosynthesis of terpenoids, the isomerization of aromatic alcohols, the oxidation and reduction of aliphatic aldehyde and esterification.

Key words: large yellow croaker; low-salted; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; characteristic aroma components; reaction pathway