Volatile organic compounds of Eastern oyster ( Crassostrea virginica ) cultured by two treatments and their changes during cold storage

Although many culture methods have been developed for Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), scientific examination of the effects of culture methods upon the quality of the Eastern oysters is scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of oysters cultured by two different bio-fouling control methods through characterizing the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the oysters. VOCs were extracted from oysters by headspace solid-phase microextraction, coupled with GC/MS analysis. A total of 32 VOCs were detected in the oysters, among which nine compounds were related to the fresh aroma of oysters, while 7 compounds indicated the spoilage of oysters. By comparing the differences of VOCs between two different culture methods before and after a 25-day cold storage, selected volatile compounds showed clear differences between oysters from the two culture methods. Moreover, the principle component analysis of the VOCs was capable to distinguish oysters from different culture methods and evaluate the freshness of oysters. It could be concluded that the bio-fouling control treatment could improve the quality of oyster by extending the shelf life, while at the same time ensure the product's nutritional value of high contents of polysaccharide unsaturated fatty acids.