Effect of yeast extracts on flavor and texture of seasoned snakehead fish (Channa argus) fillets

snakehead fish (Channa argus), a carnivorous fish, is widely distributed in freshwater areas of Asia. C. argus has fatty meat, few intermuscular bones, and is rich in protein and essential amino acids. It has the advantages of delicious taste, and rich nutrition, and is favored by consumers. At present, the common raw C. argus processed products on the market–freshly prepared snakehead fish fillets are seasoned with salt, monosodium glutamate, spices and so on. In order to respond to the national salt reduction policy and promote the development and application of new seasonings, this article uses yeast extract to season fresh C. argus fillets. In order to investigate the effects of adding different yeast extracts on the flavor and texture of raw fish fillets, the volatile components were extracted by simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE) from seasoned snakehead fish fillets, and the flavor and composition of six groups of seasoned C. argus fillets (control check CK group, FA02 group, KU012 group, FG10 group, FA39 group, F55 group) were analyzed by GC-MS in combination with electronic nose and electronic tongue. The quality of the six groups of seasoned snakehead fish fillets was further evaluated by combining sensory, color and texture analysis. The results showed that 42 volatile substances were detected in the CK group, while five yeast extracts were added (FA02, KU012, FG10, FA39, F55) with significantly more volatile substances of 60, 66, 56, 52 and 46 kinds respectively. The main characteristic volatile substances in the fillets were aldehydes, such as heptanal, decanal and (E, E)-2,4-decadienal and so on; after adding different types of yeast extracts, the volatile substances in each group of fish fillets increased, such as (E)-4-decenal, 2-nonanone, 3-nonen-2-one and so on. The KU012 group showed the greatest increase in the types and content of volatile substances, such as (E)-2-pentenal with fresh odor, (E, Z)-2, 6-nonadienal with cucumber flavor, and (Z)-2-(2-pentenyl)furan to enhance the overall flavor. The results by electronic nose and electronic tongue showed significant differences in odor and taste between each yeast extract group and the CK group. Compared to the CK group, the C. argus fillets seasoned with the addition of yeast extract had a light yellow color, slightly reduced texture and higher sensory scores. Different types of yeast extracts could improve the flavor, texture and sensory quality of C. argus fillets to a certain extent, and the KU012 group had the best overall performance. This study provides reference for the application of yeast extracts in the seasoning of aquatic products.