Effect of high pressure homogenization on aggregation, conformation, and interfacial properties of bighead carp myofibrillar protein

Characteristics and stabilization of Pickering emulsions constructed using myosin from bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis)

Myosin from bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) as a main type of fish protein possesses a good emulsifying ability. However, whether bighead carp myosin (BCM) could construct stable Pickering emulsions is still unclear. Therefore, myosin particles and Pickering emulsions stabilized by bighead carp myosin (BCMPEs) were analyzed. The surface structure of BCM particles at 0.6 mol/L NaCl treatment was uniform and compact with a contact angle of 86.4 ± 2.7°, exhibiting the potential ability to construct O/W Pickering emulsions. The size and flocculation index (FI) of BCMPEs decreased with the increase in BCM concentrations of 1%-4% (w/v). Reversely, the size of BCMPEs increased with the increase in oil-water ratios. BCM particles could uniformly distribute at the oil-water interface to stabilize BCMPEs at a BCM concentration of 4% (w/v) and an oil-water ratio of 6:4 (v/v). This study could help explore fish proteins to construct Pickering emulsions for the deep processing of fish products.

Improving the quality and processing efficiency of beef jerky via drying in confined conditions of pre-stretching

Inspired by the mechanical enhancement of hydrogel via drying in confined conditions, we applied this strategy to beef jerky manufacture for improving the quality and processing efficiency. In our study, beef strips were pre-stretched and then dried in a tensile state, and the confined conditions were achieved by controlling the stretched strains from 20% to 120%. Compared with the sample dried freely, beef jerky dried in confined conditions of different pre-stretching strains exhibited improved quality based on texture and sensory analysis. Additionally, this method also enhanced processing efficiency by reducing approximately 50% drying time. The excellent sensory quality and good texture of beef jerky were obtained as the pre-stretching strain was 80%. Drying beef strips in confined conditions made muscle fibers tense and enhanced hydrophobicity of myofibrillar proteins, leading to a compact structure with high shear force and anisotropy, and rapid water loss in beef jerky. This facile and green method provides a promising route to enrich the existing technologies of jerky processing.

Structural changes induced by ultrasound improve the ability of the myofibrillar protein to bind flavor compounds from spices

Effects of ultrasound (UT) treatments on the structural, physicochemical, and functional properties of myofibrillar proteins (MPs), as well as their ability to bind to flavor compounds from spices, were investigated. The results demonstrated that UT treatment enhanced surface hydrophobicity, SH content, and absolute ζ-potential value of the MPs. Atomic force microscopy analysis displayed formation of MPs aggregates with small particle size in the UT-treated MPs samples. Meanwhile, UT treatment could improve the emulsifying properties and physical stability of MPs' emulsion. Additionally, the MPs gel network structure and stability significantly improved following UT treatment. Changes in the structural, physicochemical, and functional properties enhanced the ability of MPs to bind to flavor substances from spices depending on the duration of UT treatment. Furthermore, correlation analysis showed that the ability of myristicin, anethole, and estragole to bind to MPs was highly correlated with surface hydrophobicity, ζ-potential value, and α-helix content of MPs. The results of this study may help in understanding the relationship between the changes in MPs properties during the processing of meat products and their ability to bind to flavors from spices, thereby improving flavors retention and taste of processed meat products.

Magnetic field-assisted cascade effects of improving the quality of gels-based meat products: A mechanism from myofibrillar protein gelation

Physics-assisted processing technologies have huge potential in the meat processing industry. By modeling two essential procedures (pickling and preheating) of gels-based meat products, this work investigated the cascade effects of a new physical technology (magnetic field) on the conformational structures and gel properties of myofibrillar proteins (MPs). Samples were subjected with four magnetic field (MF)-assisted treatments (group A, both processes without MF; group B, pickling without MF combining with preheating with 4.5 mT MF; group C, pickling with 3.0 mT MF combining with preheating without MF; group D, pickling with 3.0 mT MF combining with preheating with 4.5 mT MF). The result showed that MF-assisted treatments significantly improved water holding capacity (WHC) of MP gels compared with group A (46.9%), reaching the maximum value of 52.1% in group D.According to the low-field nuclear magnetic results, group D decreased the percentages of P₂₂ (6.97%) and increased the percentages of P₂₁ (93%), which showed that water molecules were more tightly bound to each other. Meanwhile, the unfolding of α-helix and the formation of random coil of MF-assisted treatments resulted in more exposure of internal groups, leading to the formation of a dense network. These findings would provide new insights to improve the quality of gels-based meat products via the MF.

Effects of Process Parameters on the Quality of Suantang Beef

Suantang beef is a traditional delicious Chinese food cooked in Suantang (ST, a sour soup fermented by microorganisms). However, the impact of ST on beef quality is unclear, and the process of ST beef lacks unified technical standards. In the presented study, we found that the additional amount of salt, cooking time, meat thickness, and beef-ST ratio significantly affect the quality of ST beef. After optimization, it was found that when salt addition was 1%, cooking time was 3 min, meat thickness was 2 cm, and beef-ST ratio was 40%, the color determined by colorimeter, texture determined by texture analyzer, and sensory scores of beef cooked by ST were improved compared with boiled beef. ST decreased the pH value and cathepsin L activity of beef, increased the content of organic acid, and changed the protein composition of beef. ST made the beef have higher hardness, and have better chewiness and cohesion. At the same time, ST reduced the disagreeable odors of beef and improved beef flavor. In addition, 88 volatile compounds were detected in ST beef by HS-SPME/GC-MS. According to odor, threshold, and odor activity value (OAV), 24 critical aroma-active compounds were confirmed in ST beef. This study provides a basis for the potential industrialized production of ST beef.