Changes in the Key Aroma Compounds of Raw Shiitake Mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) Induced by Pan-Frying As Well As by Rehydration of Dry Mushrooms

Application of the aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) on an extract/distillate from raw shiitake mushrooms revealed 32 odorants among which 3-(methylthio)propanal (cooked potato), 1-octen-3-one, and 1-octen-3-ol (both mushroom-like) showed the highest flavor dilution (FD) factors. An isotope enrichment experiment with raw shiitake tissue and either C-13(18)-linoleic acid or H-2(4)-1-octen-3-ol confirmed that both 1-octen-3-ol and 1-octen-3-one are direct degradation products of the fatty acid, but it could be proven for the first time that the ketone is not formed by an oxidation of the alcohol. After pan-frying, 42 odor-active compounds appeared among which 3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethylfuran-2(5H)-one (savory), 1,2,4,5-tetrathiane (burnt, sulfury), 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethylfuran-3(2H)-one (caramel-like), phenylacetic acid (honey-like), 3-(methylthio)-propanal, and trans-4,5-epoxy(E)-2-decenal (metallic) showed the highest FD factors. To get a deeper insight into their aroma contribution, 19 key odorants were quantitated in the raw shiitake and twenty-one in the pan-fried mushrooms by stable isotope dilution assays, and new methods for the quantitation of four sulfur compounds were developed. A calculation of odor activity values (OAV; ratio of concentration to odor threshold) showed that 1-octen-3-one was by far the most important odorant in raw shiitake. During pan-frying, in particular, four aroma compounds were significantly increased, i.e., 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethylfuran-3(2H)-one, dimethyl trisulfide, 1,2,4,5-tetrathiane, and 1,2,3,5,6-pentathiepane. The overall aroma profile of pan-fried shiitake could very well be mimicked by an aroma recombinate consisting of 15 reference aroma compounds in the concentrations determined in the pan-fried mushrooms. Further results showed that the sulfur compounds were even higher in rehydrated dry shiitake as compared to the pan-fried mushrooms.