Based on sensory descriptors developed by a sensory evaluation panel for 48 commercial Chinese brewed soy sauce samples, a flavor wheel of Chinese brewed soy sauce with 55 descriptors in the dimensions of aroma and flavor was developed for the first time. Meanwhile, a lexicon of sensory descriptors for brewed soy sauce containing reference samples with different intensities was established, and 20 brewed soy sauce samples of different grades and from different geographical origins were subjected to sensory evaluation by quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) using this lexicon. The results showed that the characteristic flavor attributes of soy sauce were soy paste-like, salty, umami, Chinese herbal, and cooked soybean-like aromas. Through analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminant analysis (DA), it was found that there were significant differences in sensory properties among soy sauce of different grades and from different regions. This study can provide a methodological reference for sensory quality analysis of Chinese brewed soy sauce.

This study sought to investigate the effect of superchilling on the preservation of fresh broad bean seeds. Three superchilling temperatures (-2, -3 and -4 ℃) were determined based on the freezing point of broad bean seeds. The effects of superchilling storage at each temperature on the sensory quality, chlorophyll content, color difference values and other quality indexes of broad bean seeds were analyzed using chilled storage (4 ℃) as a control, and then the effects of superchilling storage on the ripening and senescence of broad bean seeds were studied by determining the activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD) and phenylalamine ammonia lyase (PAL), total phenol content, soluble protein content and the cell structure. The results showed that the shelf life of broad bean seeds stored at 4 ℃ was 7 d, and all three superchilling temperatures significantly improved the sensory quality of the samples. Superchilling at -3 ℃ kept broad bean seeds fresh for up to 35 d, significantly slowing down the decrease in chlorophyll content and the increase in mass loss rate and color difference values during storage and maintaining the hardness well. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the optimal superchilling temperature was -3 ℃. Superchilling storage at -3 ℃ slowed down the elevation of PPO and PAL activities, maintained a higher POD activity, and delayed the generation of starch and soluble protein as well as the accumulation and the rate of change of total phenol content in broad bean seeds. Moreover, it maintained the relative stability of the cell structure and morphology and delayed the ripening and senescence of broad bean seeds.

Aroma is one of the key factors in evaluating tea quality. Tea aroma substances can be divided into four major categories according to their formation pathways: amino acid-derived volatiles, glycosidically bound volatiles,fatty acid-derived volatiles, and carotenoid-derived volatiles. The presence of diverse volatile aroma compounds in tea,with varying concentrations and composition ratios, results in distinct aroma characteristics. Numerous studies have used analytical chemistry methods to investigate the composition of tea aroma compounds, and further applied molecular sensory science to explore the content and profiles of key aroma compounds. Recombinant and omission experiments have been conducted to identify the key aroma compounds responsible for typical tea aroma profiles. Based on the application of molecular sensory science in the study of tea aroma compounds, the present study discusses the major aroma compounds in tea, summarizes the key components of distinct aroma types, and examines the synergistic and masking effects among these aroma substances. Furthermore, the formation mechanisms (pathways) of tea aroma compounds are summarized, providing a reference for future research of tea flavor chemistry.