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Updated: Oct 5, 2025

Species Determination and Quantitation in Mixtures Using MRM Mass Spectrometry of Peptides Applied to Meat Authentication
Published on: September 20, 2016
Identification and comparison of umami-peptides in commercially available dry-cured Spanish mackerels (Scomberomorus
Wei Wang1, Yuran Huang2, Wenhong Zhao1
1College of Light Industry and Food Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Lingnan Specialty Food Science and Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China; Key Laboratory of Green Processing and Intelligent Manufacturing of Lingnan Specialty Food, Ministry of Agriculture, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China; Academy of Contemporary Agricultural Engineering Innovations, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China.
Abstract:
Dry-cured Spanish mackerel (DSM; Scomberomorus niphonius) is a popularity worldwide dry-cured marine fish product due to its salty and umami flavor. Umami peptides from eight commercial DSMs were identified and compared, and their molecular mechanisms were evaluated via molecular simulation. The results showed that the sequence of peptides varied in different DSMs, wherein only ten sequences were repeated across multiple samples and the remaining 19 were detected in only one sample. The sensory characteristics of eight repeated peptides were evaluated, and four were found to exhibit umami taste and umami-enhancing effects, including Arg-Asp, Asp-Gly-Val, Asp-Arg, and Asp-Lys. They all had a strong affinity for umami receptors, and several amino acid residues of the receptors were mobilized as binding sites to form hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic bonds in ligand-receptor interactions. These results indicated that DSM was rich in umami and umami-enhancing peptides, but their sequence were different in different DSMs.

