Evolution of volatile compounds during dry-cured deer loin processing

During dry-cured meat processing, several reactions leads to the development of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) responsible for a typical flavour and aroma. Hence, this study aimed to access the evolution of VOCs profile in dry-cured deer loin during its manufacture at day 0, 30 and 60. For the sake of characterising the changes of VOCs, 8 chemical families (95 compounds) were identified, with the hydrocarbons (terpenes), ketones, acids and aldehydes as the most powerful descriptors for ripening period. Meanwhile, the most abundant compounds were acetoin and o-cymene. Except for 'others', all VOCs families steadily increased (P < 0.001) along processing and reached their content at 60 days. The main VOCs found in the present research, which derived mainly from the degradation of lipids and amino acids/proteins during ripening stage, contributed to the VOCs profile evolution. This fact agrees with the results obtained in a previous study about the lipolytic, proteolytic and oxidative changes of dry-cured deer loin during processing. Additionally to the general increase of volatiles, other specific VOCs play a vital role in the dry-cured deer loin aroma, such as 2-ketones, acetoin, alcohols (1-octanol, 1-hexanol, 1-octen-3-ol), aliphatic (pentanal, hexanal, heptanal) and branched aldehydes (butanal, 2-methyl and butanal, 3-methyl), furans, acids and esters. The content of these compounds showed a dramatic increase, which produce the typical odour of cured meat, while the terpenoids provide the VOCs derived from spices. Within these compounds, the results indicated that the ketones, aldehydes and acids chemical family could play an important role on the aroma and flavour of dry-cured deer loin. However, it is important to note that further studies should be performed evaluating the sensory characteristics and acceptability of dry-cured deer loin.