Abstract
This research examined the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), physicochemical characteristics, and microbial communities in refrigerated sauce-braised duck flippers (SDFs). Analysis identified 137 distinct VOCs in SDFs, with eugenol, 1-nonanal, 1-octen-3-ol, linalool, decanal, (E)-2-nonenal, (E)-2-decenal, and ethyl hexanoate emerging as the dominant key VOCs. Significant correlations were observed between these key VOCs and physicochemical parameters including pH, color, springiness and cohesiveness, total viable count (TVC), and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N). Microbial profiling revealed three predominant bacterial phyla and ten dominant genera within the SDFs ecosystem. Notably, sixteen bacterial genera demonstrated strong associations with six characteristic VOCs. To verify the flavor variation patterns in SDFs, refrigeration studies on sauce-braised duck necks revealed substantial reductions in primary key VOCs such as eugenol, linalool, ethyl hexanoate, and 1-octen-3-ol, contrasting with increased concentrations of 1-nonanal during storage, which mirrored the trend observed in SDFs themselves. The results potentially clarify intricate relationships between volatile flavors with physicochemical properties and microbial communities.