I. Introduction
Flavoring systems are widely incorporated into protein-based beverages to improve sensory quality, particularly by masking plant protein-derived off-flavors (Mittermeier-Kleßinger et al. 2021;Dai et al. 2026). Plant proteins interact with volatile compounds through hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and physical entrapment, thereby influencing flavor release and perception (Sharma et al. 2025;Dai et al. 2026). However, most previous studies have focused on volatile retention or suppression in protein matrices, largely assuming that flavor behavior follows additive effects or equilibrium partitioning (Viry et al. 2018;Snel et al. 2023).
Protein-flavor interactions have been shown to reduce the headspace concentration of hydrophobic compounds (Jouenne & Crouzet 2001). Both protein structure and composition play a key role in volatile retention. However, how the combination of a protein matrix and added flavoring system collectively shapes the headspace volatile profile remains poorly understood. In practical applications, the perception of flavor may be governed primarily by the volatile composition of the headspace rather than the bulk concentration of volatile compounds. In complex systems, the interaction between proteins and added flavoring systems may result in non-linear effects, including selective suppression, enhancement, or the emergence of previously undetected volatile compounds (Jouenne & Crouzet 2001;Heng et al. 2004). Such interactions are particularly important to consider in the formulation of protein-based beverages, where flavor performance often deviates from expectations based on the flavoring system alone.
In this study, “sweet-brown note associated flavorings” refer to flavoring systems designed to provide sweet, caramel-like, roasted, cocoa-like, and Maillard reaction-associated sensory notes. The sweet note was represented by 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone (furaneol)-containing flavoring, characterized by caramel-like and sweet aroma attributes, whereas the brown note was represented by cocoa-type flavorings, characterized by roasted, cocoa-like, and pyrazine-associated aroma attributes (Haag et al. 2021;Putri et al. 2024). While their sensory properties are well established, their behavior in protein matrix systems remains poorly understood, particularly regarding headspace volatile distribution and the potential emergence of novel volatile compounds.
Therefore, this study aimed to compare the headspace volatile profiles of a flavoring system with and without the addition of a plant-based protein beverage matrix. This approach allowed the evaluation of whether flavoring addition results in simple additive behavior or non-linearly alters volatile distribution in the headspace. Furthermore, the findings provide practical insights into how protein matrices influence flavor expression in formulated beverages.
II. Materials and methods
1. Materials and sample preparation
Flavoring materials with cocoa-like brown note (F_101 and F_118) and sweet note (4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone, F_Fu) were purchased from Aromaline Corp. (Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea). Also all other chemicals were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA).
2. Sample preparation
The model protein beverage was composed of isolated soybean protein (3.5%, w/v), minor amounts of stabilizers and buffering agents (0.02%, w/v) and water. Three sample groups were prepared: Control, containing only the plant-based protein beverage; F, containing each flavoring material in water without protein; and PF, containing the plant-based protein beverage supplemented with each flavoring material. For PF samples, flavoring materials were added to the protein beverage at 0.5% (v/v) and mixed at 400 rpm for 3 min at room temperature. The F samples were prepared using the same amount of flavoring material and final sample volume as PF, but without the protein beverage matrix. Before HS-SPME analysis, all samples were equilibrated for 30 min at room temperature to minimize differences caused by sample handling.
3. Volatile analysis using GC-MS
Volatile compounds (VOCs) were extracted using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) with a divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber, 75 µm, Supelco). Samples (3 mL) were placed in 20 mL vials with an internal standard (100 µg/mL in methanol, 2-methyl-3-heptanone) and equilibrated at 40℃ for 30 min, followed by extraction for 30 min under agitation at 250 rpm. Analytes were thermally desorbed in the gas chromatography (GC) injector for 5 min in split-less mode.
VOCs were analyzed using a Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) system (TRACE 1310 and TSQ 9000, Thermo Fisher Scientific) equipped with DB-WAX UI column (60 m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 µm; Agilent J&W Scientific, CA, USA) with helium as the carrier gas (1 mL/min). The oven temperature was programmed from 40℃ to 230℃ at 4℃/min. The inlet and transfer line were maintained at 250℃. Mass spectra were acquired in electron ionization (EI) mode over m/z 35-350. VOCs were identified using mass spectral libraries (Wiley 7.0 and NIST 14) and retention indices (C7-C30), and were semi-quantified as relative peak area ratios to the internal standard.
4. Statistical analysis
All experiments were conducted in triplicate, and results were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Principal component analysis was performed to evaluate global differences in volatile profiles. The redistribution index (RI) was calculated as a log2-transformed ratio of observed to expected values. Directional similarity between VOCs and off-flavor compounds was quantified using cosine similarity. Data processing and visualization were conducted using Python (pandas, NumPy, and Matplotlib).
III. Results and discussion
1. Global volatile changes in headspace volatiles induced by flavoring addition
A total of 64, 59, and 51 volatile compounds were detected in the plant-based protein drink (control), flavoring only samples (F), and flavored protein drinks (PF), respectively (Table 1). In particular, the furaneol-containing flavoring (F_Fu) was characterized by distinct furanone-derived volatiles contributing to caramel-like and sweet notes, whereas the cocoa flavor systems (F_118 and F_101) were dominated by a mixture of aldehydes, ketones, and pyrazine-related compounds associated with roasted and cocoa-like attributes (Frauendorfer & Schieberle 2006). This compositional difference indicates that the F group provides a complex volatile profile with distinct chemical signatures depending on flavor type. It may contribute differently to headspace redistribution when incorporated into the protein-based matrix.
To evaluate the global changes in the volatile profile of the protein drink upon flavoring addition, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the VOC dataset of control, F, and PF. The PCA score plot was explained by 66.1% of the total variance (PC1: 38.3%, PC2: 27.8%), discriminating the three sample groups into distinct clusters (Figure 1). Along PC1, the control and PF groups (except PF_101) clustered on the positive dimension, suggesting that the original volatile profile of the protein drink remained dominant despite the addition of flavoring. In contrast, the position of PF_101 on the negative dimension indicated a suppressing or masking of the control volatiles. PC2 distinguished the unique flavor characteristics of F_118 and F_FU; however, only PF_101 and F_101 were positioned within the same dimension, indicating relatively close volatile relationship. This suggests that the volatile characteristics of certain flavorings may be attenuated by the matrix interactions; however, the F_101 system successfully preserved its distinct volatile characteristics within the headspace. The addition of flavoring may alter the flavor characteristics of the original system; however, the extent of such modification may be limited depending on the conditions. In a previous study, the addition of flavorings may alter beverage flavor characteristics; however, pH-responsive alginate-chitosan hydrogel matrix structure limits modification by retaining 85% limonene at pH 3.5 versus 40% release at pH 6.5 (Liu et al. 2025). These findings demonstrated that flavor expression in the protein drink is not a simple additive process, but instead reflects competitive headspace redistribution in which matrix effects and molecular interactions selectively govern the final headspace volatile profile.
To further elucidate complex volatile changes in the headspace, the relationship between expected and observed volatile levels was compared. This analysis was conducted to evaluate whether the volatile profile of PF deviated from the expected additive profile of the protein beverage and flavoring-only samples. Because the F samples did not contain the protein beverage matrix, the comparison reflects matrix-associated changes after introducing flavorings into the protein beverage system. The deviations between observed PF values and expected values were interpreted as evidence of non-additive headspace behavior under the present analytical conditions, rather than as direct quantitative measures of individual protein–volatile interactions.
The comparison between expected (control + F) and observed (PF) volatile levels revealed a clear deviation from additive behavior (Figure 2). Most volatile compounds were located below the line, indicating overall suppression of volatile release by the protein matrix. However, some volatile compounds showed enhanced release, suggesting selective matrix-driven modulation. Especially, several volatile compounds, including propan-1-ol and 3-methylbutan-1-ol, were detected in the PF groups despite being absent in both control and F samples. The detection of these VOCs in the PF groups may be attributed to matrix-induced redistribution rather than de novo formation. This pattern may be associated with matrix-induced redistribution, competitive release, altered partitioning behavior, or changes in HS-SPME extraction sensitivity, allowing compounds present below the detection limit in the individual samples to become detectable in the PF headspace (Viry et al. 2018;Snel et al. 2023). These results may indicate a complex and non-linear redistribution of volatile rather than simple additive behavior.
2. Protein matrix-responsive off-flavor control
Plant protein-derived off-flavors are primarily associated with volatile compounds formed via lipid oxidation and enzymatic reactions (Leonard et al. 2023;Dias et al. 2026). Key contributors include aldehyde (e.g. hexanal, heptanal, nonanal), alcohols (e.g. 1-octen-3-ol), furans (e.g. 2-pentylfuran), and alcohols (e.g. pentan-1-ol, hexan-1-ol) (Soendjaja & Girard 2024;Kaur et al. 2025;Nagassa et al. 2025;Dias et al. 2026). These volatile compounds are typically characterized by low odor thresholds and are responsible for undesirable sensory notes described as grassy, beany, earthy, and fatty (Jung et al. 2021;Li et al. 2023). In particular, hexanal and 2-pentylfuran are widely known as major contributors to the characteristic off-flavor of plant proteins (Park et al. 2025).
The redistribution behavior of volatile compounds in the protein drink upon flavoring addition was visualized using an off-flavor anchored scatter map (Figure 3), integrating both magnitude (mean RI) and directional similarity to soybean-derived off-flavor compounds, including hexanal, heptanal, 2-pentylfuran, pentan-1-ol, hexan-1-ol, nonanal, oct-1-en-3-ol. In Figure 3, the x-axis represents the overall matrix-driven redistribution (Mean RI), while the y-axis represents directional similarity to off-flavor compounds, enabling interpretation of VOC behavior related to off-flavor suppression. Mean RI was calculated as the average log2-transformed ratio of observed to expect volatile compounds levels across all flavoring systems, representing the overall direction of volatile redistribution {Equation (1) and (2)}. The y-axis represents the cosine similarity between the redistribution profile of each VOC and the average redistribution pattern of off-flavor compounds across flavoring systems {Equation (3)}. Suppression corresponds to VOCs that decrease together with off-flavor compounds, whereas enhancement refers to VOCs that increase while off-flavor compounds decrease, reflecting opposing redistribution trends.
Most VOCs were located in the upper-left dimension, indicating negative RI values and strong positive similarity (Y) to the off-flavor pattern. This suggests that the majority of volatiles were co-suppressed alongside off-flavor compounds. This co-suppression may reflect matrix-associated retention of volatile compounds through hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, or physical entrapment. However, altered air–water partitioning, competitive binding among volatiles, and reduced headspace transfer may also contribute to the observed suppression. Representative co-suppressed VOCs included aldehyde (v2), methyl acetate (v6), and heptan-2-one (v29), octane (v3), α-pinene (v15), and butan-2-one (v8). A previous study reported representative co-suppressed VOCs included aldehydes, methyl acetate, 2-heptanone, octane, α-pinene, and 2-butanone, reduced by 60-85% through processing in plant protein systems (Li et al. 2023). The identified VOCs encompassed a broad range of chemical classes, including aldehydes, esters, ketones, and hydrocarbons, indicating that the observed co-suppression effect was not restricted to a specific chemical functional group but was rather governed by common physicochemical properties, particularly volatility and hydrophobicity. These findings may suggest a global suppression effect within the protein-flavor system.
In contrast, a subset of VOCs was positioned in the lower-right dimension, indicating positive RI values and negative similarity to off-flavor compounds. These compounds showed enhancement behavior while off-flavor compounds were suppressed. Specifically, several VOCs showed enhancement behavior, including butan-1-ol (v26), 3-methylbutyl acetate (v27), hexan-1-ol (v47), 3-hydroxybutan-2-one (v41), and hexyl acetate (v39), as evidenced by positive mean RI values and negative similarity to the off-flavor pattern. These compounds increased in headspace concentration despite the suppression of off-flavor components, reflecting opposing redistribution trends. These compounds included alcohols and esters with relatively higher volatility and weaker matrix affinity, suggesting preferential release upon the reduction of competing volatile interactions. Furthermore, several emergent VOCs were also observed in this dimension, suggesting matrix-induced release of previously undetected VOCs. Matrix characteristics in plant proteins can result in the detection of previously undetected volatile compounds, as mechanical disruption or competitive release of bound VOCs (Szeitz et al. 2024).
IV. Summary and conclusion
This study demonstrated that volatile behavior in a plant-based protein-flavor system was related to non-linear headspace redistribution rather than additive effects. The plant-based protein matrix induced a dominant co-suppression of volatile compounds, including key off-flavor compounds, through non-specific retention mechanisms, such as hydrophobic interactions and molecular binding. At the same time, a subset of VOCs showed opposite redistribution behavior, increasing in headspace despite off-flavor suppression, indicating displacement-driven release. Furthermore, VOCs detected only in the combined system (PF) suggest that the protein-flavor matrix may increase the headspace availability of compounds that were previously undetectable, possibly through redistribution, competitive release, or altered partitioning behavior.
These findings suggest that volatile distribution is strongly influenced by the protein beverage matrix, providing a useful basis for understanding off-flavor modulation in plant-based protein beverages. Also, it highlights that volatile distribution in protein-based beverage system is not governed by simple partitioning or additive effects, but rather by complex interaction-driven mechanisms. From a practical perspective, this suggests that flavor profile in plant-based protein beverages cannot be accurately predicted based solely on the properties of the flavoring system. Instead, formulation strategies should consider matrix-dependent interactions to achieve desired sensory properties. Although RI and directional similarity provided quantitative support for classifying volatile redistribution patterns, these analyses indicate association rather than direct molecular causation. Further validation using targeted protein–volatile binding assays or time-resolved headspace analysis would be required to confirm the proposed mechanisms. It should also be noted that the VOC data were based on semi-quantification using relative peak area ratios to an internal standard. Because HS-SPME fiber affinity can differ among compounds, the present data should be interpreted primarily for comparing redistribution trends within the same compound and analytical workflow, rather than for direct absolute comparison among different compounds.
Therefore, this study provided a mechanistic framework for understanding headspace volatile behavior in protein-based systems and offered useful insights for the rational design of flavor systems, contributing to the development of improved plant-based beverages with enhanced sensory quality.








