GC–MS, UHPLC–MS/MS Probe Ultrasound Soup Flavor

Chicken soup is loved not just for its nutrients but also for its flavor. Researchers hypothesized that stewing chicken soup with the help of ultrasound waves might boost that flavor even further—by causing tiny bubbles to form and collapse in the liquid (a process called cavitation), along with other mechanical effects, which could help break down and release flavor-building compounds more effectively. To test this idea, they examined how ultrasound-assisted stewing (UAS) affected both the aroma compounds and non-aroma flavor compounds in the soup, using two techniques: gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS). A paper based on this study was published in the journal Foods.¹

Why Is Ultrasound Technology Used in Soup-making, and How Does It Improve Stewing Efficiency, Nutrition, and Flavor?

Ultrasound technology has become popular in the food industry because it isenvironmentally friendly, efficient, and does not use much energy. It is commonly used to help extract proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and other beneficial compounds from different types of food.²More recently, ultrasound technology has also made its way into soup-making, with the goal of improving flavor, nutrition, and texture. Compared to traditional stewing, using ultrasound during stewing speeds up the process significantly and can achieve results just as good—or even better—in less time. This seems to happen mainly because of the physical effects ultrasound has on the ingredients: it creates shear forces, tiny collapsing bubbles (cavitation), and a blending effect that break down the structure of the raw ingredients. This helps release nutrients trapped inside cells and speeds up the movement and transformation of compounds that eventually become flavor.³

The group’s earlier research also found that ultrasound-assisted stewing meaningfully boosted the nutritional quality of chicken soup. It improved the soup's texture and flow properties, as well as its ability to keep fats and liquids blended evenly, resulting in a more stable soup with smaller, more consistent fat particles. In addition, ultrasound increased both the amount and variety of aroma compounds in the soup, making its flavor even richer.⁴

“In summary,” write the authors of the paper,¹ “ultrasound technology, particularly UAS, offers significant advantages in the preparation of soup products by promoting the migration of nutrients and enhancing flavor quality. However, the fundamental mechanisms of flavor formation in soup products, particularly the roles of key volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and precursor substances, remain insufficiently understood and therefore require further investigation.”

How Did UAS Affect the Aroma and Non-Volatile Flavor Compounds in Chicken Soup?

Using GC-MS, the researchers identified 39 different aroma-related compounds. After 120 minutes of stewing, the group treated UAS had a total aroma compound concentration of 150.08 mg/kg—about five times higher than the untreated control group, which measured just 29.41 mg/kg. Further statistical analysis, combined with a measure of how strongly each compound contributes to smell, narrowed things down to 10 compounds that stood out as meaningfully different between the two groups. The researchers then tested these aromas directly—by recreating them and by removing them one at a time—and confirmed that 7 of these compounds, including two specific ones called (E)-2-octenal and (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, were responsible for the soup's meaty and fatty smell and taste.

Using UPLC–MS/MS, the researchers also detected 5,032 non-volatile compounds (ones that do not evaporate and contribute to taste rather than smell), sorted into 20 categories. Of these, 322 stood out as significantly different between the ultrasound-treated and untreated soups, including small protein fragments, fatty acids, and nucleotides (the building blocks of DNA and RNA).

Overall, treating the chicken soup with ultrasound made its flavor more complex. It did this by helping release flavor-building compounds, such as small peptides, nucleotides, and fat-derived substances, and by encouraging the formation of key aroma compounds.

“This study,” write the authors of the paper,¹ “provides theoretical and technical support for the application of UAS in soup processing.”

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References

1. Zhang, D.; Yue, Z.; Chen, R. et al. Ultrasonic-Assisted Stewing Enhances Chicken Soup Flavor by Promoting Flavor Precursor Release and Key Aroma Compound Formation. Foods 2026, 15 (17), 2978. DOI: 10.3390/foods15172978
2. Mehta, N.; Jeyapriya, S.; Kumar, P. et al. Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction and the Encapsulation of Bioactive Components for Food Applications. Foods 2022, 11 (19), 2973. DOI: 10.3390/foods11192973
3. Meena, L.; Gowda, N. N.; Sunil, C.K. et al. Effect of Ultrasonication on Food Bioactive Compounds and Their Bio-Accessibility: A Review. J. Food Compos. Anal. 2024, 126, 105899. DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2023.105899
4. Yue, Z.; Yu, Q.; Qin, Y. et al. Enhancement of Quality Induced by Ultrasonic-assisted Stewing Improved the Nutritional Concentration, Emulsifying Property, and Flavor Characteristic of the Chicken Soup. Food Chem X 2025, 25, 102184. DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2025.102184