Dynamic patterns of quality deterioration, oxidative stability, and flavor evolution in yuba during long-term storage

This study comprehensively evaluated the changes in yuba during long-term storage. Protein and lipid oxidation intensified significantly with increasing storage time, as evidenced by a decrease in total sulfhydryl content and increases in carbonyl content, peroxide value (POV), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) (<i>P</i> < 0.05). These oxidative changes contributed to the deterioration of sensory acceptability, quality attributes, and processing performance (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Among the 62 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) identified, ketones were the most diverse, and aldehydes were the most abundant. Relative odor activity value (ROAV) analysis identified five key volatile compounds (ROAV >1) (1-hexanal-M, 1-hexanal-D, 2-methyl butanal-M, 2-methyl butanal-D, and 1-octen-3-one) which can be regarded as typical aroma markers of yuba. This study provides a reference for quality control during yuba storage and supports its industrial development.