Effect of saliva on aroma release of Shanxi aged vinegar

In order to study the effects of two types of artificial salivas containing only mucin and human saliva in vitro on the aroma release of Shanxi aged vinegar, the volatile aroma components in three kinds of Shanxi aged vinegar were analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time of flight-mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOF-MS). The effects of salivas on the content of volatile compounds in three kinds of Shanxi aged vinegar were compared by cluster analysis (CA), and the key flavor substances of Shanxi aged vinegar were screened by aroma activity value (OAV). The data of aroma compounds content were transformed into sensory description information by drawing the aroma wheel of Shanxi aged vinegar, and the effects of salivas on the sensory characteristics of Shanxi aged vinegar were identified. The results showed that a total of 105 volatile compounds were detected from Shanxi aged vinegar. Under the effect of two types of saliva, the 65 volatile compounds contents were all significantly reduced (P<0.05), especially esters and ketones. OAV of nearly half of the 27 key aroma compounds with OAV>1 were reduced by more than 10%, indicating that saliva could affect the sensory characteristics of Shanxi aged vinegar. Both types of saliva could weaken the sensory properties of aroma compounds in Shanxi aged vinegar, especially for nutty, milky and floral flavors. This study clarified the effect of saliva on the aroma release of Shanxi aged vinegar, which provided a theoretical basis for improving the sensory experience of Shanxi aged vinegar.