Regulatory effect of zeaxanthin-blueberry powder on the flavor quality of nutrition package

A nutrition package can effectively supplement the lack of nutrients in the daily diet. Lipid oxidation is also prone to occur during storage, due to the high fat content in the nutrition package. The unpleasant odors can be then generated to limit normal consumption. The nitrogen packaging and antioxidants can be added to effectively slow down the oxidation of nutritional supplements, and then inhibit the generation of off-flavors. There are two commonly used methods to inhibit the oxidation of nutrition packages. Gas chromatography-ion migration spectrometry (GC-IMS) has been a new type of rapidly-developed flavor analysis in recent years. The high selectivity of gas chromatography was combined with the high sensitivity of ion mobility spectrometry to achieve the rapid qualitative and quantitative analysis of volatile compounds. In this study, a improved type of basic nutrition package was prepared to add the zeaxanthin and blueberry powder for preschool children. The free radical scavenging of zeaxanthin, blueberry powder, and their combination were evaluated using an electron spin resonance (ESR), in order to assess their antioxidative properties. GC-IMS was utilized to analyze the deterioration of flavor quality of nutrition packages after accelerated storage. The nutrition packages were rapidly identified to reveal the differences between volatile compounds in different formulations. The results showed that the combination of zeaxanthin and blueberry powder exhibited higher free radical scavenging. Meanwhile, the nutrition package with the improved formula shared lower levels of free radicals, compared with the basic one after accelerated storage. Therefore, the zeaxanthin and blueberry powder were added to inhibit the increase of free radicals. The flavor fingerprints were established for two formulations of the nutrition packages in accelerated storage for 0 and 300 days. A total of 71 volatile compounds were identified, including 15 alcohols, 13 aldehydes, 6 ketones, 5 alkenes, 2 phenols, 15 esters, 2 sulfides, 1 hydrocarbon and 12 heterocycles. There were differences in the volatile compounds after storage of different formulations of nutrition packages. The zeaxanthin and blueberry powder dominated the flavor of the nutrition package. Methyl salicylate and ethyl acetate shared the flavor properties of blueberry, indicating a rich floral and fruity aroma to the nutrition package. 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-one and terpinolene were identified as the characteristic flavor compounds of carotenoids, indicating the aroma of lemongrass and pine. The levels of these compounds in the improved formula nutrition package were higher than those in the basic one. As such, the zeaxanthin and blueberry powder had enriched the flavor of the nutrition package. The addition of zeaxanthin and blueberry powder reduced the levels of volatile compounds (E, E)-2,4-hexadienal, 2-methyl-3-furanthiol, ethylpyrazine, (E)-2-heptenal, (E)-2-hexenal produced from fat oxidation, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and Maillard reaction after accelerated storage. In addition, there was a higher content of aromatic volatile compounds, such as cis-4-decenal, 3-methyl-2-butenal and linalyl acetate in the improved formula nutrition package, indicating the protective effect on the flavor in the nutrition package. Heat maps and principal component analysis showed that the types and amounts of volatile compounds were clearly distinguished in the nutrition packages of the two formulations. In conclusion, the zeaxanthin and blueberry powder can be expected to inhibit the generation of off-flavors in nutrition packages, in order to regulate the deterioration of flavor quality during storage. The findings can provide a theoretical basis for the better flavor quality of the nutrition package.