Quality assessment of large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) roe oil before and after refining

This research aimed to assess the quality of the large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) roe oil before and after refining. The crude and refined L. crocea roe oils were compared based on their peroxide value (PV), acid value (AV), iodine value (IV), saponification value (SV), and fatty acid composition. Furthermore, the volatile compounds were identified and analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and electronic nose (E-nose) analysis. Meanwhile, the flavor fingerprint was established via headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS). The results showed that the PV, AV, IV, and SV of the refined oil were 4.44 ± 0.04 mmol kg⁻¹, 2.86 ± 0.01 mgKOH g⁻¹, 163.1 ± 0.8 g/100 g, and 222.9 ± 0.7 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The docosahexaenoic acids (DHAs) content in the total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was increased. Moreover, 55 volatile compounds were identified in the refined oil; among these compounds, the contents of carboxylic acids, aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, and esters were reasonably increased, while the hydrocarbon and heterocyclic compound contents were decreased. The flavor fingerprints of the crude and refined L. crocea roe oils were established by HS-GC-IMS. The results demonstrated that the refining improved the quality of L. crocea roe oil.