To elucidate the influence of aged vinegar on the flavor development of fish-flavor seasoning sauce, this study systematically investigated the differences in volatile compounds among samples prepared with vinegars aged for 1, 3, and 5 years. Advanced analytical techniques, including electronic nose (E-nose), headspace–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS), odor activity value (OAV), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), were employed. Results showed that the D sample (5-year-aged vinegar) exhibited the most distinct odor profile compared to the control (A, without vinegar), while samples B (1-year) and C (3-year) showed high similarity. This trend was further validated by cluster heatmap and PCA of key aroma substances, indicating that aged vinegar significantly altered the overall odor composition. A total of 76 volatile compounds were identified by GC-MS, with aldehydes, esters, terpenes, and sulfur-containing compounds as the major components. With increasing vinegar age, the contents of aldehydes and esters increased, whereas those of terpenes and sulfur compounds decreased. OAV analysis identified 40 aroma-active compounds, among which (E)-2-heptenal, nonanal, dodecanal, trans-2,4-decadienal, isovaleraldehyde, and diallyl tetrasulfide were the most prominent contributors to the characteristic flavor. The OPLS-DA model highlighted 12 marker compounds with a variable importance in projection (VIP) greater than 1, such as valeraldehyde and 4-ethylphenol, as key discriminants among the samples. This study reveals the regulatory role of aged vinegar in shaping the key aroma-active profile of fish-flavor seasoning sauce, providing a theoretical foundation for the standardization and quality enhancement of compound condiments.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |