Effects of sorbitol-mediated curing on the physicochemical properties and bacterial community composition of loin ham during fermentation and ripening stages

Characterization the microbial diversity and metabolites of four varieties of Dry-Cured ham in western Yunnan of China

In this study, high-throughput sequencing and metabolomics analysis were conducted to analyze the microbial and metabolites of dry-cured Sanchuan ham, Laowo ham, Nuodeng ham, and Heqing ham that have fermented for two years produced from western Yunnan China. Results showed that at the genus level, the dominant bacteria in the four types of ham were Halomonas and Staphylococcus, while the dominant fungi were Aspergillus and Yamadazyma. A total 422 different metabolites were identified in four types of ham, mainly amino acids, peptides, fatty acids, and their structural analogs, which were involved in pantothenate and coenzyme A biosynthesis, caffeine, and tyrosine metabolism. The dominant microorganisms of the four types of ham were mainly related to the metabolism of fatty acids and amino acids. This research enhances the identification degree of these four types of dry-cured ham and provides a theoretical basis for developing innovative and distinctive ham products.

Changes in the physicochemical characteristics and microbial community compositions of the abdomen and cheliped muscles in swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus) during frozen storage

The physicochemical indexes and microbial diversity were investigated to compare the altered quality properties of the abdomen and cheliped muscle in swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus) during 100 days of frozen storage at -20℃. Over the extended duration of frozen storage, the sensory evaluation, moisture content, water activity (Aw), and water-holding capacity (WHC) in the abdomen and cheliped muscles of swimming crab decreased, while the pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and trimethylamine (TMA) increased. The increase and decrease rates of these indicators were smaller in the abdomen than those in the cheliped muscle. High-throughput sequencing results indicated a reduction in the microbial richness and diversity in the abdomen and cheliped muscles of the swimming crab as frozen storage time extended. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, and Firmicutes, Achromobacter, Kocuria, and Staphylococcus were the dominant phylum and genus in both muscle tissues, respectively. Furthermore, the correlation analysis between the composition of the microbiota and physiochemical properties revealed that the growths of Kocuria, Vibrio, Staphylococcus, and Aliiroseovarius were closely related to the physiochemical factors. The study provides a theoretical reference for quality deterioration and develops new products of different parts in the swimming crab during frozen storage.

Effect of ultrasonic treatment on the quality of Mianning ham

This paper investigates the optimal process for ultrasonic desalination of Mianning ham. The study analyzed various factors such as ultrasonic treatment time, temperature, and power to determine their impact on the rate of desalination of hams. A single factor test was conducted to study the rate of desalination. Further, A Box-Behnken experimental design was used to evaluate the effect of Mianning ham desalination. The design examined the impacts of ultrasound on the physicochemical properties, texture, and sensory of the ham. Response surface processing group underwent oral processing to determine the optimal ultrasonic treatment conditions with the highest acceptance level. The results show that the best conditions were: ultrasonic time 84.56 min, ultrasonic temperature 40.35°C, and ultrasonic power 150.85 W. The average desalination rate of the ham under the optimal conditions was 25.93% ± 0.69%, and the hardness was 4.48 N ± 0.62 N. Overall, this process significantly improved the desalination rate, texture, and sensory quality of Mianning ham, providing solid theoretical support for desalination processing at the back end of ham.