Dynamic changes in oxidative stability, bioactive components, and volatile compounds in Procambarus clarkii head oil...

This study systematically investigated the dynamic changes in oxidation indices, astaxanthin, cholesterol, tocopherols, fatty acid composition, and volatile compounds of Procambarus clarkii head oil (PHO) under room temperature light and dark storage conditions. After 70 days, the PV increased to 63.46 ± 2.67 and 43.06 ± 1.83 meq/kg in the RT-LightOx and RT-DarkOx groups, respectively. The initial total AST content was 234.93 ± 3.19 μg/g and was completely degraded under RT-LightOx, but decreased by only 42.24% under RT-DarkOx. In addition, the complete depletion of 9Z- and 13Z-AST isomers was accompanied by significant decreases in n-6 and n-3 fatty acid contents. In contrast to the rapid AST depletion, total tocopherols and cholesterol showed only minor changes during storage. Among the 96 identified VOCs, the number of odor-active compounds increased from 14 in RT-DarkOx to 21 in RT-LightOx. These findings provide a theoretical basis for quality evaluation and shelf-life assessment of PHO.