1Shizuoka Prefectural Research Institute of Fishery, Yaizu, Shizuoka 425-0033, 2The school of Marine Science and Technology, Tokai University, Shimizu, Shizuoka 424-8610, Japan
The volatile flavor compounds (VOC) in dark and ordinary muscles of skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis were analyzed by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) combined with solid phase microextraction (SPME). The contents of the VOC in dark muscle of skipjack were found to be higher than those in ordinary muscle, especially hexanal. The contents of aldehydes (hexanal, heptanal, octanal) in dark muscle increased more than those in ordinary muscle during storage at 5℃ and 25℃. When the protein and oil separated from the skipjack meat were mixed and incubated in the phosphate buffer (pH 6.0) for 4 hours at 25℃, hexanal level after the reaction became significantly higher in dark muscle protein and oil mixture than in only oil and only protein. These results suggest that the higher VOC level in dark muscle of the skipjack tuna may be related the both the lipid and protein.