Effects of Ammonia and Salinity Stress on Non-Volatile and Volatile Compounds of Ivory Shell (Babylonia areolata)

In this study, the flavor compounds of ivory shell (Babylonia areolata) and their changes caused by ammonia and salinity stresses were studied. Ammonia stress improved the contents of free amino acids (FAAs), 5′-adenosine monophosphate (AMP), citric acid, and some mineral ions such as Na+, PO43−, and Cl−. The FAA contents decreased with increasing salinity, while the opposite results were observed in most inorganic ions (e.g., K+, Na+, Mg2+, Mn2+, PO43−, and Cl−). Hyposaline and hypersaline stresses increased the AMP and citric acid contents compared to the control group. The equivalent umami concentration (EUC) values were 3.53–5.14 g monosodium glutamate (MSG)/100 g of wet weight, and the differences in EUC values among treatments were mainly caused by AMP. Hexanal, butanoic acid, and 4-(dimethylamino)-3-hydroxy- and (E, E)-3,5-octadien-2-one were the top three volatile compounds, and their profiles were significantly affected when ivory shells were cultured under different ammonia and salinity conditions.