HS-SPME-GC-MS and OAV analyses of characteristic volatile flavour compounds in salt-baked drumstick

Salt-baked drumstick of chicken is a traditional Cantonese food, but the flavour components remain vague. In this research, the volatile flavour compounds of salt-baked drumsticks were explored by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combining gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The result showed that 56 flavour compounds, 67flavour compounds and 62 flavour compounds were detected by the commercial water-baked drumsticks, the commercial salt-baked drumsticks and the self-manufactured salt-baked drumsticks, respectively. Then the combination of aroma threshold and odor activity value (OAV) theory further identified the flavour substances. Results showed that 19 volatile components were the main source of aroma, including aldehydes (9), alcohols (4), heterocycles (3), an ester compound, a phenolic compound and a hydrocarbon compound. There were 8 odorants with OAVs ≥10 in the drumsticks heating by salt, including octyl aldehyde, nonyl aldehyde, furfural, trans-2-nonenal, (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal, (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal, 1-octene-3-ol and ethyl cinnamate. This research identified major components of salt-baked drumstick during processing, which provided a foundation for further research on its formation mechanism and influence mechanism.