Abstract:To investigate the effects of stewing time (30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240 min) on the nutritional components, emulsification properties and the composition of volatile flavor substances of chicken bone soup, chicken bones were taken as the research object. The dissolution rules of nutrients in chicken soup and the changes in emulsification state at different times were analyzed, as well as the correlations between emulsifying properties, nutritional components, and volatile flavors. The results indicated that with the extension of stewing time, the total sugar, total protein, and solid content in chicken bone soup reached a dissolution equilibrium. The total fat and unsaturated fatty acid content first increased and then decreased, reaching the highest at 180 min of stewing. Among them, the maximum total fat content reached 0.20 g/100 mL, which was 4 times higher than that at 30 min, and the maximum proportion of unsaturated fatty acids reached 62.09%. At this time, the droplet size of the chicken bone soup reached its minimum, with a volume mean diameter (D43) of 1.068 μm and a surface area mean diameter (D32) of 0.441 μm. Meanwhile, the absolute value of the Zeta potential reached its highest level of 25.61 mV, indicating the strongest multiple light stability of the system. Microscopic observations showed that the droplet distribution became more dispersed and uniform, indicating optimal emulsion stability. Furthermore, a total of 91 volatile flavor compounds were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), among which aldehydes were the most abundant. Correlation analysis revealed that aldehydes were significantly positively correlated with nutritional components and emulsification properties (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, under the traditional stewing method, the aroma of chicken soup gradually weakened due to steam loss as the stewing time increased. Considering comprehensively, 180 min was appropriate for the normal pressure stewing of chicken bone soup. This study provides a theoretical basis for the comprehensive utilization of chicken bone by-products and the precise processing and flavor quality control of high-quality chicken bone soup.