Characterization of the Key Taste Components of Cooked Crayfish Based on Molecular Sensory Science

The free amino acids, flavor nucleotides, organic acids and inorganic salts in cooked crayfish were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry. The taste profile was determined by taste activity value (TAV) and sensory evaluation, and the taste-active components were identified by omission and addition tests. The results showed that a total of 17 free amino acids and three taste nucleotides were detected in cooked crayfish. Among all taste components tested, the content of Arg (935.19 mg/100 g) was the highest, accounting for 35.95% of the total free amino acids, followed by K⁺ (817.63 mg/100 g) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP, 778.09 mg/100 g). Arg, Glu, Ala, His, Val, Gly, Asp, AMP, guanosine monophosphate, lactic acid, succinic acid, Na⁺, and K⁺ had TAV greater than 1, which may be potential taste-active components in cooked crayfish. Sensory profiling analysis and recombination, addition and omission tests showed that free amino acids and nucleotides were the main contributors to crayfish taste, and organic acids and some inorganic salt ions were auxiliary umami enhancers. The main taste characteristics of the hot aqueous extract of cooked crayfish were umami and kokumi, and its key taste components were Glu, Gly, Val, Ile, Leu, Phe, Arg, His, Ala, Tyr, AMP, lactic acid, Na⁺, K⁺ and PO₄^3-.