Optimization of enzymatic hydrolysate process of Volvariella volvacea and analysis of volatile flavor compounds in Maillard reaction

Abstract BACKGROUND Edible fungi seasoning not only enhances umami flavor but also improves nutritional value in the production of traditional Chinese cuisine. Volvariella volvacea is a typical tropical and subtropical tasty edible fungus, with an annual production in China reaching 330, 000 tons, accounting for 80% of the global yield. Therefore, the high‐value utilization of V. volvacea has become one of the current research hotspots. This study aimed to determine the optimal reaction conditions for the enzymatic hydrolysate and Maillard reaction (MR) products of V. volvacea and to identify the odor compounds in the enzymatic hydrolysate and MR products of V. volvacea to enhance the umami taste of V. volvacea . Results The optimal conditions for enzymatic hydrolysate were a solid/liquid ratio of 1:10, pH 5.5, enzyme concentration of 4000 U g −1 (cellulase:Protamex™ = 1:1), a cellulase hydrolysis time of 90 min, followed by Protamex TM hydrolysis for 120 min, resulting in optimal umami. An MR was performed to further release umami compounds in V. volvacea . The optimal conditions for the MR were determined to be 3% xylose, 5% cysteine, 110 °C, 80 min, and pH 6.0. Finally, odor compounds before and after the MR of V. volvacea were analyzed using two‐dimensional gas chromatography‐olfactometry–mass spectrometry. The results revealed that chicoric ketone (sweet) was the most abundant (125.78 ± 11.71 μg kg −1 ), followed by furfural (bread; 107.21 ± 2.83 μg kg −1 ) and 2‐methylfuran (chocolate; 90.27 ± 2.66 μg kg −1 ). Conclusion This study provides more information for further studies on the umami compounds of V. volvacea and a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of V. volvacea . © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.