Modulate meat flavor by different forms of Iron with chicken breast as a model

Porphyrin iron and iron-containing proteins in meat undergo structural changes during cooking; however, their specific contributions to flavor development remain incompletely elucidated. In this study, chicken breast was supplemented with three iron reagents (FeCl₃, hemin chloride, and hemoglobin) to compare the effects of free iron, heme iron, and protein-bound iron on flavor of meat. Flavor profiles were analyzed using GC-MS and electronic nose. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to assess the associations between key flavor compounds and the various iron forms/oxidation indices. The results indicated that heme iron promoted the formation of alcohol flavor compounds and exerted a mild oxidative effect on chicken breast, whereas free iron strongly accelerated lipid oxidation, generating abundant related volatiles such as hexanal, heptanal, pentanal, octanal, and 2-n-pentylfuran. As a source of both free iron and heme iron during cooking, hemoglobin enhanced lipid oxidation-derived flavors and promoted the formation of alcohol flavor compounds. This study deepened the understanding of the role of iron in the formation of meat flavor and would provide some references for the application of different iron forms in flavor regulation of meat or meat-flavored foods.