Characterization of traditional Egyptian Samna and comparison with processed anhydrous milk fat: A comprehensive analysis of volatile components and physiochemical properties

Abstract

Historically, Samna is a clarified fermented Egyptian butter that has a vital role in the human diet, primarily due to its nutritive value and pleasant flavor. Herein, we performed an in-depth screening to evaluate the volatile and physiochemical properties of different traditional Egyptian Samna compared with processed anhydrous milk fat by analyzing their fatty acids composition, volatile components, melting, and crystallization behavior using GC, GC–MS–O, and DSC approaches. Saturated fatty acids were significantly abundant (67.18%–69.53%) compared to unsaturated fatty acids (26.11%–30.30%) in all samples. Overall, 38 different volatile compounds were quantified. Remarkably, higher concentrations and odor activity values (OAVs) of carboxylic acids were observed in traditional Samna and anhydrous milk fat from Egyptian cow milk compared to Chinese anhydrous milk fat. Additionally, furan and alcohol compounds were exclusively detected in traditional Samna from cow and buffalo sources, a distinction from Chinese anhydrous milk fat. Olfactory analysis coupled with GC–MS identified 36 odor-active compounds. Network analysis investigated the relationships between these potential aroma compounds associated with key sensory attributes; especially, 2-nonanone, 2,3-butanediol, δ-decalactone, n-hexadecanoic acid, and ethyl octanoate were linked to cheesy aroma notes. Principal component analysis and heat map results effectively categorized all the samples into four groups based on their distinct odor characteristics.