Abstract:

Non-volatile compounds that impact the acceptability of strawberry preserves were investigated by untargeted LC–MS flavoromics analysis. Chemical profiles for fifteen strawberry preserves were modeled against consumer liking scores by orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS) with good fit (R²Y = 0.995) and predictive ability (Q² = 0.918). Four chemical compounds predictive of acceptability were identified, by accurate MS and NMR, as secoisolariciresinol monoglucoside, (+)-isolariciresinol monoglucoside, 1-hexanoyl-phloroglucinol-2-O-β-D-glucoside, and the novel compound decanoic acid-4-O-β-D-glucoside. Sensory recombination testing of preserve samples with added levels of the four predictive LC–MS compounds indicated perceivable sensory changes in the flavor profile. Female consumers significantly preferred the recombination preserve with added levels of both predictive GC–MS and LC–MS compounds as compared to the control preserve, demonstrating the applicability of the approach for understanding product liking.