Untargeted foodomics strategy using high-resolution mass spectrometry reveals potential indicators for fish freshness

Fish among other food can easily become spoilage. However, the existing literature endeavouring into a holistic investigation of fish metabolome during storage is scarce. There is a need for a powerful tool for more in-depth determinations. The present study is leveraging high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS)-based untargeted foodomics in the exploration of potential indicators for fish freshness. Three batches of fish fillets were stored in the refrigerator (+4 °C) for 0, 24, 48, and 72 h. Features were detected via UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS and hereby undergone selection, identification, and verification. Eight sensitive indicators with significant time-dependent responses were yielded. The loss of freshness in fish is manifested in the upregulation of uracil, hypoxanthine, and inosine (involved in nucleotide changes) and α-linolenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, arachidonic acid, and linoleic acid (involved in lipid hydrolysis) as well as in the downregulation of decanoylcarnitine (involved in fatty acid metabolism). Our work provides a promising approach to assess the quality of fish during storage and gain deeper insights into the metabolic reaction.