Synergistic mechanisms of crayfish tail flavor evolution mediated by hepatopancreas: Insights from GC-IMS and electronic nose analysis

The effects of beer and hepatopancreas in modulating the flavor of red swamp crayfish were systematically examined. The impact of cooking with/without the hepatopancreas in beer/water on crayfish quality was determined using sensory analysis, electronic nose and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). Results indicated that removing the hepatopancreas significantly enhanced textural properties, edible yield and sensory acceptance (50.94 ± 7.43 in water; 51.92 ± 7.22 in beer). Cooking in beer without the hepatopancreas maximized the content of free amino acids, with glutamic acid, histidine and arginine contributing to the primary taste, as indicated by their Taste Activity Values (TAV >1). GC-IMS revealed 68 volatile compounds, of which 29 were key odors based on relative odor activity values (ROAV >1). Multivariate analysis revealed 9 differential markers, which confirmed the role of beer in promoting desirable esters and alcohols. These findings are important for optimizing industrial crayfish processing and enhancing quality.