Characterization of Volatile Compounds of Dry-Cured Meat Products Using HS-SPME-GC/MS Technique

Substitution effects of NaCl by KCl and CaCl2 on Lipolysis of Salted Meat

The objective of this study was to investigate the reduction and partial substitution effects of sodium chloride (NaCl) by potassium chloride (KCl) and calcium chloride (CaCl₂) on lipolysis and lipid oxidation in salted meat aiming at reducing sodium content. To evaluate the effect of different salts on lipid oxidation thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARs) assay was performed along 180 days. Furthermore, ESI-MS/MS and GC analysis were conducted to detect and identify oxidized lipids, volatile compounds and free fatty acids profiles during the meat processing time. Lipid profiles from different salted meat demonstrated that CaCl₂ salt have inducted more lipid oxidation when compared to the combination of NaCl and KCl salts, highlighting the implication of CaCl₂ on increased lipolysis reactions. Moreover, the obtained results from both the analyses suggest that a combination of NaCl and KCl salts can be a good alternative for reducing the sodium content without compromising the quality of the salted meat.

A Comprehensive Review on Lipid Oxidation in Meat and Meat Products

Meat and meat products are a fundamental part of the human diet. The protein and vitamin content, as well as essential fatty acids, gives them an appropriate composition to complete the nutritional requirements. However, meat constituents are susceptible to degradation processes. Among them, the most important, after microbial deterioration, are oxidative processes, which affect lipids, pigments, proteins and vitamins. During these reactions a sensory degradation of the product occurs, causing consumer rejection. In addition, there is a nutritional loss that leads to the formation of toxic substances, so the control of oxidative processes is of vital importance for the meat industry. Nonetheless, despite lipid oxidation being widely investigated for decades, the complex reactions involved in the process, as well as the different pathways and factors that influenced them, make that lipid oxidation mechanisms have not yet been completely understood. Thus, this article reviews the fundamental mechanisms of lipid oxidation, the most important oxidative reactions, the main factors that influence lipid oxidation, and the routine methods to measure compounds derived from lipid oxidation in meat.

Effect of Neem (Azadirachta indica L.) on Lipid Oxidation in Raw Chilled Beef Patties

The aim of this study was to determine the total polyphenol content, radical scavenging and antimicrobial activities of Azadirachta indica (A. indica) and to evaluate their effect on shelf-life stability of raw beef patties during refrigerated storage at 4 ± 1 °C. During 11 days of storage, the antioxidant effect of A. indica on ground beef meat was investigated by the determination of lipid oxidation, pH, anti-radical activity, color, hexanal content, and microbial growth. The results obtained showed that fresh A. indica leaves and synthetic conservative behaved in the same way and retarded the lipid oxidation of chilled beef patties while increasing their pH (5.40 and 5.45, respectively). It can also be said that A. indica limited the loss of color, reduced the metmyoglobin formation (36.70%) and had a significant effect on bacterial growth and hexanal content. In addition, the results obtained through anti-radical and antimicrobial properties showed proportional values of total polyphenol content and radical scavenging activity of leaf extracts as they showed their antimicrobial effect against some bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus luteus, among others. These results support the involvement of A. indica in the food industry as a natural antioxidant that could replace synthetic ones.

Volatile profile of fermented sausages with commercial probiotic strains and fructooligosaccharides

The effect of the partial substitution of pork back fat by fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and the probiotic strains Lactobacillus paracasei and Lactobacillus rhmanosus on the generation of volatile organic compounds in fermented sausages was investigated. The results obtained showed that these factors significantly affected the total content of organic volatile compounds (7484, 8114, 8372 and 10,737 AU × 10⁴/g for FOS.GG, CON, FOS.BGP1 and FOS samples, respectively). A total of 59 volatile components, mainly hydrocarbons, ketones and esters were isolated. The reduction of fat content by including FOS in the formulation results in positive effects and a greater stability of the volatile profile of the fermented sausages, increasing ester compounds and reducing the undesirable notes of hexanal (probiotic samples showed values < 2 AU × 10⁴/g). Moreover, there was a symbiotic effect when the aforementioned prebiotic fiber was combined with probiotic Lactobacillus strains.