Effects of gallic acid on the release of aroma compounds in Moutai Baijiu

Due to the trace concentrations of gallic acid (GA), the interaction mechanism between GA and flavor compounds is limited, and the effects on the aroma compounds of Moutai Baijiu are even more unclear. In this study, the aroma compounds and phenolic compounds in Moutai Baijiu were investigated by stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). A total of 63 volatiles and 10 phenolic compounds were identified, and 16 esters and 4 alcohols were identified as the important aroma substances (odor activity values ≥1). The effect of GA on the release of aroma compounds was investigated by sensory analysis and partition coefficient. The results showed that GA mainly inhibited the volatilization of alcohols, low concentrations of GA promoted the release of esters, and high concentrations slowed down or even inhibited the release effect affected by the hydrophobicity of aroma compounds. UV spectroscopy and thermodynamic analysis further revealed that the interaction of GA with 1-propanol was attributed mainly to hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces, and the interaction with other compounds was mainly influenced by hydrophobic effects. These results show that gallic acid can effectively control the release of the aromas of Moutai Baijiu, highlight the important role of GA on the volatiles of baijiu, and provide theoretical support for further healthy improvement of the sensory quality of baijiu.