Comparative Study of Volatile Components From Two Strains of Pyropia haitanensis in Different Culture Areas

Abstract:

Flavor is an important example of sensory evaluation of food quality. Flavor of marine algae could be affected by various factors such as the strain, aquaculture area, and the harvest time. Pyropia haitanensis is one of the important cultivated algae in China; however, few studies have been done on what affects its flavor. In this study, we selected two strains of P. haitanensis, Shenfu 2 and Zhedong 1, cultured in Dongtou and Xiangshan Counties of Zhejiang Province in China. The subjects were harvested for 4 or 5 batches, and the volatile components were analyzed by head space solid-phase micro extraction and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, as well as multivariate data analysis. Totally 115 volatile components were detected in the two strains living in different culture areas, of which the major species were hydrocarbons, aldehydes, and ketones, specifically 8-heptadecene, pentadecane, 1-heptadecene, nonanal, and octanal. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed a clear difference in the volatile components between two strains cultured in two areas. The strain-specific differences were shown in 8-heptadecene, 1-heptadecene, nonanal, 2-ethenyl-6-methyl pyrazine, and octanal; the area-specific differences were signified in 8-heptadecene, nonanal, 2-ethenyl-6-methyl pyrazine, 1-heptadecene, and styrene. In addition, the volatile components at different harvest time were closely correlated to the water quality. Therefore, it is important to select appropriate areas for P. haitanensis culture.