## 1 Introduction  
Dry-cured ham is a meat product of excellent quality and it is produced mainly in the Mediterranean region. The largest producers are Italy, Spain, and France. The Croatian Dalmatian dry-cured ham (Dalmatinski prstut) is a traditional meat product with protected geographical indication (PGI) and is produced in the southern part of Dalmatia, Croatia. It differs from other types of dry-cured ham because one of the stages of production involves smoking that adds desirable sensory characteristics to dry-cured meat products. Phenolic components of the smoke contribute significantly to the aroma of dry-cured meat products. The smoke acts like a barrier against the development of rancidity with its protective film on the surface of the smoked dry-cured ham [1]. Dalmatinski prstut is produced according to the traditional processing method with sea-salt and without any other additional additives [1]. During dry-curing, many complex biochemical changes occur, including the degradation of proteins and lipids. However, physicochemical, aromatic, textural, and sensory properties of dry-cured ham vary considerably depending on the changes in the technological production [2] as well as on the influence of the breed of pig used in production (rearing system, feed, genetic type, etc.) [3].  
Physicochemical changes throughout the dry cured ham processing have been studied for different types of dry-cured ham: Spanish Iberian [4; 5; 6], Serrano [7] and Celta [8], French Bayonne [9], Italian Toscano [10; 11], Chinese Jinhua ham [12], Polish Kumpiak podlaski [13]. These studies concluded that the production process has a significant impact on physicochemical parameters, with varying intensity depending on muscle types [8]. The two most studied muscles in dry-cured ham, the biceps femoris (BF) and the semimembranosus (SM), are exposed to different conditions during dry-cured ham processing and show a different time chart of proteolysis [9]. The SM is an external muscle that is subjected to a faster dehydration and salt intake during the first stages of processing. The internal muscle, BF, shows higher water content and proteolytic activity during the production process than SM [14]. These differences between muscle types leads to a different intensity of proteolysis and lipolysis, and thus to a different number of volatile compounds in both BF and SM [15].  
The flavor of dry-cured ham is one of the most important quality attributes that influence consumers' acceptance. The two main processes that contribute to the final quality of dry-cured ham are proteolysis and lipolysis [16; 17]. During the ripening phase, degradation of proteins and lipids to amino and fatty acids occurs due to the action of endogenous enzymes. The products of this degradation are the main contributors to the aroma of dry-cured ham [2]. In recent decades, volatile compounds analysis has been frequently performed to characterize dry-cured meat products, especially dry-cured ham. Furthermore, the differentiation of dry-cured ham based on the production process as well as different muscles represents an interesting topic in the field of meat science. Although the influence of different processing techniques has been extensively studied for other types of dry-cured ham, particularly Iberian, Toscano, San Daniele, and Parma ham [10], no data was discovered on the formation of volatile compounds as well as other important physicochemical parameters in different muscles for smoked dry-cured ham. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of muscle type (BF or SM) on volatile compounds during the production of smoked dry-cured ham Dalmatinski prsut. In addition, the evaluation was carried out based on the physicochemical parameters (water, fat, protein, ash content, water activity, NaCl concentration, and pH) as well as instrumental texture and the extent of proteolysis and lipolysis.