A GC-MS based metabolic profiling of fermented sausage supplemented with pineapple

A GC-MS based metabolomic study was performed to understand metabolic changes during sausage fermentation and to investigate how the incorporation of pineapple affects the metabolic profiles of fermented sausages. Principal component analysis models showed clear metabolic differences among the fermented sausages according to the fermentation periods and the pineapple addition. Increased amounts of amino acids and organic acids except for citric acid, along with decreased levels of sugars were observed after fermentation. Higher levels of sugars and citric acid in the pineapple supplemented sausages dramatically decreased during the early stage of fermentation. The contents of lactic acid, phosphoric acid, succinic acid, ribonic acid, valine, leucine, isoleucine, glycine, threonine, glutamic acid, glucose, and sucrose were significantly increased in the 2% pineapple addition sausages. GC-MS and PCA analytical methods provide a new approach to understand of the metabolic changes in fermented sausages during fermentation.