Characterization of Species- and Sex-Dependent Volatile and Non-Volatile Flavor Profiles in Three Commercially Important Mussel Species

The flavor characteristics of three commercially important, cultivated mussel species (Mytilus coruscus, Mytilus galloprovincialis, and Perna viridis) were investigated through analyses of free amino acids, organic acids, 5′-nucleotides, fatty acids, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Distinct differences among species–sex groups were observed in both volatile and non-volatile flavor compounds. M. coruscus and M. galloprovincialis showed greater umami potential than P. viridis. Female M. galloprovincialis exhibited the highest equivalent umami concentration (EUC) (2.56 ± 0.21 g MSG/100 g), whereas male M. galloprovincialis and male M. coruscus contained the highest levels of sweet-tasting amino acids (605.42 ± 28.72 mg/100 g) and umami-tasting amino acids (209.29 ± 13.31 mg/100 g), respectively. Gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) analysis identified 67 volatile compounds, and 12 key discriminative volatiles were selected, including three aldehydes, four ketones, three alcohols, 2-ethylfuran, and acetic acid. Males generally showed higher omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs)and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-6 PUFAs) proportions than females, with the highest ω-3 PUFAs proportion in male M. coruscus (45.12 ± 0.22%) and the highest ω-6 PUFAs proportion in male P. viridis (8.13 ± 0.30%). Correlation analysis suggested that ω-6 PUFAs were more closely associated with aldehydes, whereas ω-3 PUFAs were more closely associated with alcohols and ketones. These associations provide preliminary evidence for understanding flavor differences among cultivated mussel groups.