Enrichment of the nutritional and flavor profiles of chicken soup using goji bud tea: Flavor analysis based on intelligent algorithms.

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of Goji bud tea (GBT) as a functional ingredient on the nutritional quality and flavor of chicken soup. The results showed that adding GBT significantly increased the soluble solids, water-soluble protein, amino acid nitrogen, total phenolic, and total flavonoid contents of chicken soup, thereby enhancing its nutritional value and antioxidant activity. In addition, the levels of free amino acids and 5'-nucleotides also increased following GBT addition. Through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, a total of 48 aroma components were detected. Further, through orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis and random forest models, eucalyptol, linalool, 1-nonanol, nonanal, benzaldehyde, and octanal were identified as potential key aroma substances in GBT-enriched chicken soup. This study systematically clarified the potential of GBT in enhancing the nutritional value and flavor of chicken soup, providing theoretical and evidence-based support for the development of functional stews.