Flavor compound characteristics and functional activities of forest frog paste

This study investigated the effects of different formulations on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in forest frog paste and its immunomodulatory activity. Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) coupled with electronic nose and multivariate statistics analyzed VOCs, and the immunomodulatory activity was evaluated in cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppressed BALB/c mice. A total of 22 VOCs were detected, and 3 key differential markers (variable importance in the projection, VIP > 1), namely (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal, methyl isobutyrate and 2-furanmethanol, were screened out. Compared with the model group, the high-dose group elevated thymus and spleen indices by 26 % and 22 %, and serum immunoglobulin M (IgM), immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels increased by 38.95 % and 20.90 %, respectively. In conclusion, GC-IMS-electronic nose can distinguish flavor profiles of different formulations; the key markers and immunomodulatory results lay theoretical and experimental foundations for forest frog paste’s quality regulation and functional product development.