Metabolomics analysis of physicochemical properties associated with freshness degradation in frozen Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba)

This study aimed to determine the effect of different frozen temperatures during storage on the quality of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and assess the change at the metabolite level via a combination of physicochemical property analysis, liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS) based non–targeted metabolomics profiling. Regarding samples stored at –20 °C, the expressions of 7055 metabolites were elevated, while 2313 were downregulated. Lipids and lipid molecules had the highest proportion of differential metabolites. A total of 432 discriminatory metabolites with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) IDs was obtained. We also observed that the concentrations of differential bitter free amino acids (FAAs) and oxidation products of arachidonic and linoleic acid increased. Moreover, as the storage temperature increased, the freshness, umami, and sweetness components were considerably reduced. Furthermore, results indicated that the color, pH and water–holding capacity (WHC) were potential indicators of quality deterioration, while inosinic acid was a probable biomarker for umami degradation of frozen Antarctic krill. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that storage at lower temperatures can be beneficial for maintaining the freshness of Antarctic krill from macro and micro perspectives.