Identification of Key Chemical Components Responsible for Flavor Deterioration in Shrimp Muscle during Refrigeration Based on Instrumental Analysis and Chemometrics

To investigate the changes in the volatile flavor compounds and the characteristic components responsible for flavor deterioration in the muscle of Litopenaeus vannamei under cold storage, the odor profiles of shrimp stored at 4 ℃ for 0–4 days were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed using an electronic nose and headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS). Key flavor compounds were selected based on their relative odor activity values (ROAVs), and differential compounds were analyzed using a partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model. The results showed that the electronic nose sensors W1W, W6S, and W3C exhibited the strongest responses and HS-GC-IMS identified 14 volatile flavor compounds, with aldehydes, ketones, pyrazines, and sulfur-containing compounds markedly accumulating in the late storage period. PLS-DA highlighted abhexone, safranal, acetone, and pentan-1-ol as key volatile compounds. These findings reveal key chemical components contributing to flavor deterioration in cold-stored shrimp, providing a scientific basis for understanding the mechanism of flavor deterioration and developing targeted control strategies.