Browsing by Author "Ye, LiYun"

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    Analysis of volatile compounds, proximate composition, and fatty acids in Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis)
    James, Cierra Alisha (Virginia Tech, 2022-06-07)
    Pacific bluefin tuna (PBT; Thunnus orientalis) has grown significantly in popularity in recent years due to the globalization of Japanese cuisine. PBT is highly sought after for sushi and sashimi products due to its great quality and taste. Wild populations of this species have been affected by their increasing popularity, pushing innovators in the food industry to create meat alternative versions of PBT. The muscle composition of PBT varies, leading to different types (cuts) of meat in a way that is analogous to various cuts of beef. This study evaluated the differentiation amongst the 6 distinct cuts, including otoro, ventral akami, dorsal akami, ventral chu-toro, dorsal chu-toro, and wakaremi conducting volatile analysis, proximate analysis, and fatty acid analysis. The results from these analyses can then be used as a base standard for companies seeking to create alternatives versions of PBT. Samples analyzed in this study were cultured PBT species that were caught as juveniles and raised in captivity on a PBT farm in Mexico. Volatile analysis was conducted using a SPME GC/MS method. Overall, 41 aroma compounds were identified in PBT that met the identification criteria, including 9 aldehydes, 7 alcohols, 14 alkanes, 2 ketones, 4 alkenes, 3 aromatic compounds, and 2 miscellaneous compounds. Proximate analyses were conducted using standard methods. Significant differences (p <0.05) were found between each cut for the proximate analysis. The fatty acid analysis determined that there were twenty-two identifiable fatty acids found in the different cuts. The omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) with DHA being present at a higher amount than EPA in each cut. Overall, there are similarities and differences among the different cuts of bluefin tuna that researchers would need to mimic to provide adequate nutritional and sensorial properties of PBT.
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    Characterization of A-type Proanthocyanidins in Peanut Skins Using MALDI-TOF MS
    Ye, LiYun (Virginia Tech, 2015-02-27)
    Peanut skin, a low-value agriculture waste product, has drawn lots of research interest in recent years, due to its high content of A-type proanthocyanidins. A-type proanthocyanidins have been believed to contribute to cranberries' anti-UTI (urinary tract infection) effect. In this study, we compared the A-type proanthocyanidins in cranberry and peanut skin crude extracts using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Many similarities were found in the proanthocyanidin composition of cranberries and peanut skins. New oligomeric and polymeric proanthocyanidins in peanut skins, including heteroproanthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins with sugar moieties or galloyl esters, were tentatively identified. Solid phase extraction (SPE) and HPLC fractionation largely improved MALDI-TOF's ability to detect proanthocyanidins with high degrees of polymerization (DP). By analyzing the identified compounds in each fraction, we were also able to find some interesting elution pattern of the proanthocyanidins on the SPE cartridges and on the HPLC column. For example, the elution order on both the SPE cartridges and the diol phase column generally followed the DP. A-type proanthocyanidins tended to elute earlier than the B-type. Prodelphinidins retained much longer than other proanthocyanidins with the same DP. These findings may help researcher to identify future research directions and develop new separation methods to facilitate the identification of bioactive components in proanthocyanidin-rich plant extracts.