Off-Flavor Removal from Sheep Placenta via Fermentation with Novel Yeast Strain kh3 Isolated from Traditional Apple Vinegar.

Animal placentae can be used as health-promoting food ingredients with various therapeutic efficacies, but their use is limited by their unpleasant odor and taste. This study aimed to investigate the possibility of deodorization of sheep placenta via yeast fermentation. A yeast strain was successfully isolated and identified as a novel strain ( kh3). The deodorizing efficacy of fermentation of the sheep placenta with kh3 was evaluated by 42 panels, based on evaluation of preference, ranking, and aroma profiles, and compared with normal placenta and placenta fermented with . The results of the sensory evaluation indicated that fermentation of the sheep placenta with kh3 may improve its palatability by increasing flavors such as that of grass (tree), rubber, and burnt, and by decreasing the odor and soy sauce flavor. Solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography (SPME-GC) showed that major off-flavors in sheep placenta, such as ammonia, dimethyl disulfide, and 1,3-dioxolane, were completely diminished in the sheep placenta fermented with kh3. This study presents those major volatile compounds, including 2-isobutyl-4,4-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane, and 3-methyl-1-butanol, could be crucial in improving the palatability of the sheep placentae fermented with kh3. This study provides a good starting point for the industrial application of a new deodorization method.