This study investigated the effects of short-term nitric oxide (NO) gaseous treatment on the quality and underlying mechanisms of post-rigor chilled pork. Samples were subjected to either NO exposure (117 μL/L) or pure N2 (control) for 41 min prior to 7-day vacuum storage. Results showed that NO treatment significantly improved the redness without elevating residual nitrite, whereas shear force and purge loss increased relative to controls. NO accelerated protein oxidation, evidenced by increased S-nitrosothiols, carbonyls, disulfide bonds, and Schiff bases with decreased sulfhydryl, leading to increased surface hydrophobicity, reduced solubility, and altered microstructure. This NO-induced oxidative cross-linking inhibited proteolysis, as evidenced by lower MFI and troponin-T degradation. Volatile profiling indicated that the overall flavor profile was affected by storage duration rather than NO treatment, with less off-odor generation. These findings provide a theoretical basis for determining the optimal industrial application window for NO in fresh meat processing.

As the primary structural protein in meat, myofibrillar protein (MP) is highly susceptible to oxidative modification, which progressively impairs its gelation properties and compromises meat product quality. In this study, three gum arabic conjugates modified with ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and gallic acid (designated FA-AG, CA-AG, and GA-AG, respectively; collectively referred to as MAGs) were prepared through laccase-catalyzed grafting, and their effects on the physicochemical properties and gelation behavior of MP gels under a gradient oxidation model (H2O2, 0-10 mM) were systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that MAG incorporation significantly improved textural properties, water-holding capacity (WHC), and microstructural uniformity compared with the native MP and AG groups, indicating that phenolic acid grafting conferred protective effects beyond those attributable to the polysaccharide backbone alone. Among the three conjugates, GA-AG exhibited the most pronounced protective performance, as evidenced by a WHC of 51.3% at 10 mM H2O2, complete elimination of free water, and preservation of a denser and more continuous gel network. Raman spectroscopy, protein solubility, and low-field NMR analyses collectively revealed that MAGs, particularly GA-AG, mitigated oxidation-induced conformational disruption, preserved aromatic side-chain microenvironments and secondary structure stability, and maintained balanced intermolecular interactions within the gel network. These findings provide molecular-level evidence that phenolic acid-modified gum arabic functions as both an antioxidant and a structural stabilizer, highlighting its promise as a multifunctional additive for improving the oxidative stability and quality of emulsion-type meat products.

This study systematically assessed the impacts of reheating methods including microwaving (MR), boiling (BR), and steaming (SR) on the quality, physicochemical properties, and flavor profiles of precooked pork meatballs. Results indicated that BR and SR had significantly lower water loss and shear force (P < 0.05), suggesting BR and SR were superior to MR in water-holding capacity and tenderness. Low field-nuclear magnetic resonance (LFNMR) results revealed a decrease in free water after reheating, which was most pronounced in the MR group (P < 0.05). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) results further showed that the BR samples maintained a more intact microstructure compared to other groups. Moreover, electronic nose analysis revealed a higher response value in the BR group, indicating richer flavor profile of pork meatball after boiling reheating. This was corroborated by GC-MS results that BR group had a higher content of volatile substances, especially aldehydes. Additionally, pork meatballs in the BR group presented better sensory qualities. In conclusion, boiling is recommended as the preferred reheating method for precooked pork meatballs, as it could exhibit better overall quality and flavor characteristics.

This study aimed to fabricate soy protein isolate (SPI)-gallic acid (GA)-guar gum (GG) ternary conjugates and to investigate relationship between covalent modification and SPI conformational, microstructural, and physicochemical changes. In SPI-GA binary system, reaction time and GA concentration were optimized; 4 h at 5 mg/mL GA yielded the highest grafting degree and antioxidant capacity, whereas grafting efficiency partially decoupled at higher GA levels, likely due to quinone self-polymerization that lowers electrophilicity and increases steric hindrance. In SPI-GA-GG ternary system, heating cycles were varied to optimize extent of glycation and browning index. Multiscale analyses (SDS-PAGE, FTIR, CD, intrinsic fluorescence, SEM) revealed a covalent network without backbone cleavage, decreased α-helix with increased β-sheet/random coil, and a shift of tryptophan microenvironments toward hydrophilicity. Functionally, solubility increased to 43.56%, while the surface hydrophobicity index decreased by 68.88% relative to native SPI; GG mitigated GA-induced thermal instability, yielding a tunable, process-stable ingredient for functional foods.

This study investigated the impact of 3-methylbutanal (0, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 300 μg/kg) on aroma and neural responses in fermented sausages. Among 33 volatiles identified, 3-methylbutanal exhibited the highest odor activity value of 868, indicating its dominant contribution. Sensory analysis showed that samples with 180 μg/kg received the highest ratings for savory (7.0), caramelized (7.1), and nutty (4.4) notes, whereas the 300 μg/kg group showed the lowest overall aroma intensity. EEG analysis indicated global power and α-band activity peaked at 180 μg/kg, increasing by 65.8 % and 73.2 % over baseline, then declined at higher doses. Time-resolved topographies showed odor decoding began at 100 ms and peaked at 500 ms. Source localization identified increased activity in dorsolateral, orbitofrontal, and ventromedial prefrontal cortices at 180 μg/kg. These results demonstrate that moderate levels of 3-methylbutanal enhance aroma perception and evoke heightened neural activity in brain regions associated with olfactory processing and emotion.

This study evaluated the inhibitory efficacy of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NJAU-01 (NJAU-01) on oxidation associated with malondialdehyde (MDA) and utilized the bacteria in a functional lactic acid beverage. The antioxidant capacity of the bacteria was measured in vitro, the production conditions (inoculum, fermentation time, and sugar addition) of the lactic acid beverage were optimized, and the effects of NJAU-01 on antioxidant, flavor profile, and storage stability of lactic acid beverages were investigated. The results revealed that NJAU-01 exhibited a high tolerance towards MDA at 40 mM, and that it also exhibited outstanding antioxidant capacity in vitro and antioxidant enzyme activity throughout its growth stage. The beverage demonstrated an elevated antioxidant capacity and efficiently eliminated MDA. Additionally, the NJAU-01 lactic acid beverage could be stored at 4 °C for 21 days, exhibiting stable sensory attributes and strong resistance against lipid peroxidation. The study yielded insights into the role of NJAU-01 in improving the storage stability of lactic acid beverages thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of the specific mechanisms by which probiotics enhance beverage quality. These findings can facilitate a more effective utilization of this knowledge in the food industry.

This aim of this study was to investigate the effect of incorporating varying proportions of pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) pork into fermented sausages on their quality and flavor profile with a mixed starter culture. PSE pork was combined with red, firm, and non-exudative (RFN) pork to create five treatment groups, including 100% PSE, 80% PSE/20% RFN, 50% PSE/50% RFN, 20% PSE/80% RFN, and 100% RFN. The study evaluated physicochemical characteristics, texture, color, proteolysis and volatile flavor compounds of fermented sausages. The pH value of the sausage decreased as the percentage of PSE pork content increased, resulting in a delayed effect on staphylococci growth in groups with more than 50% PSE pork addition. The inclusion of 100% PSE pork significantly reduced the hardness, cohesiveness, and springiness, the a* value and proteolysis of fermented sausages. Sausages with 80% and 100% PSE pork addition contained over 40 volatile flavor compounds, indicating greater abundance and diversity than those with 100% RFN pork. These findings provide a promising strategy for utilizing PSE pork in meat processing.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the flavor profiles of water-boiled pork meatballs at different ultrasonic powers (0, 150, 300, 450, 600, and 750 W) using solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) combined with electronic nose (E-nose). A total of 36 volatile compounds were determined by SPME-GC-MS, including alcohols, aromatic hydrocarbons, aldehydes, terpenes, alkanes, phenols, ketones, and other. With the appropriate ultrasound treatment, the type and relative content of volatile compounds were significantly increased (P < 0.05), and the ultrasound treatment at 450 W had the better effect on the flavor characteristics of pork meatballs. E-nose analysis also showed that the 450 W ultrasound treatment had the highest response values of W1S, W6S, and W2S sensors (sensitive to hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones) to volatile compounds of pork meatballs. The characteristic flavor compounds of pork meatballs, including m-cresol, limonene, nonanal, and linalool, were further confirmed by comparing the content, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and odor activity value (OAV). Overall, appropriate ultrasoundassisted cooking (especially at 450 W) could be a promising approach to enhance the flavor profiles of pork meatballs.

BACKGROUND:Traditional emulsified meat products are high in animal fat, which is associated with good quality (texture, taste, flavor and palatability), but excessive fat intake has adverse effects on human health and has been linked to chronic diseases such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. The present study aimed to evaluate the use of lard-derived diacylglycerol (DG) with health benefits on the physicochemical and sensory properties of frankfurters. Frankfurters were prepared by substituting lard with purified lard-derived diacylglycerol (PDG) at different levels (0%, 25%, 50% and 100%). RESULTS:Compared to lard, the replacement of lard with different levels of PDG improved the rheological properties of meat batters. Increasing lard substitution significantly decreased cooking loss (from 18.70% to 0.38%), released fat and free water content, at the same time as significantly increasing immobilized water content, hardness (from 22.54 N to 40.37 N), and chewiness (from 13.10 to 27.19). However, there was no significant difference between the 50% PDG group and the 100% PDG group (P > 0.05). Moreover, the frankfurters prepared with lard replaced with 100% PDG produced the most compact and uniform three-dimensional gel network with a mass of small fat globules embedded in the myofibrillar protein network. Notably, the reformulated frankfurters with 100% PDG had the highest sensory evaluation score. CONCLUSION:Overall, replacing pork fat with healthier lard-derived DG improved quality (particularly texture and water and fat retention) without compromising the sensory properties of the frankfurters. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been recognized to have a significant impact on meat quality, while the role of the antioxidant system in response to ROS in postmortem muscle remain unclear. Protein DJ-1 serves as a sensor of oxidative stress and has an antioxidant function in biological systems. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the expression, oxidation, and interaction of protein DJ-1 in porcine longissimus thoracis (LT) and semimembranous (SM) muscles, as well as its correlation with meat quality, to gain a better understanding of meat quality formation during postmortem aging. The findings indicated significant variations in pH, L*, a*, purge loss, cooking loss, and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) between the muscle groups (P < 0.05). The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), protein DJ-1, and oxidized DJ-1 (oxDJ-1) in SM muscle were higher than those in LT muscle throughout the 3 d of postmortem aging (P < 0.05). Moreover, protein DJ-1 and oxDJ-1 were significantly associated with water holding capacity and a* value of pork (P < 0.05). Through co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry, a total of 23 DJ-1 interacting proteins were identified, mainly participating in glycolysis, energy metabolism, muscle contraction, resistance to oxidative stress, as well as amino acids biosynthesis and metabolism. These results suggest that DJ-1 may exert a regulatory influence on the development of pork quality during postmortem aging.

This study investigated the effects of α-ketoglutaric acid (α-KG) and leucine (Leu) supplementation on 3-methylbutanal abundance by Lactococcus lactis CGMCC 31087. Leu was kept constant, while α-KG concentrations varied across three models: PBS model, minced meat, and fermented sausage. In the PBS model, increasing α-KG (0.1 to 1 mM) raised both 3-methylbutanal and glutamic acid levels, but no further increase in 3-methylbutanal occurred in 10 mM α-KG group. In minced meat, 3-methylbutanal initially rose with α-KG (5-10 mM) but then fell at higher concentrations (20-40 mM). Excessive α-KG lowered pH in both minced meat and sausages, inhibiting microbial growth and Leu utilization. The highest 3-methylbutanal concentration (133.73 μg/kg) in sausages occurred with 3 mM α-KG, enhancing umami taste, aromas, and texture. These findings suggest that an optimal Leu-to-α-KG ratio facilitates 3-methylbutanal production and sensory quality, providing a potential strategy for improving flavor development and accelerating ripening in fermented meat products.

Meat and meat products are essential components of individuals' daily diet for their high nutritional value. However, the quality and organoleptic attributes of meat can be significantly affected by microbial spoilage and lipid oxidation. There is a growing demand of employing novel bio-preservatives to enhance the overall acceptability of meat. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that the antimicrobial efficacy of bio-preservatives depends on microbial fractions, metabolic products and by-products, which are collectively referred to as postbiotics. Recent studies have investigated the effects of postbiotics on the safety, quality and shelf life of meat, demonstrating their important role in meat preservation. Furthermore, the health beneficial effects of postbiotics, including anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects, can impart functional value to meat products, although their specific mechanisms of action remain to be further investigated. This review systematically discusses the preparation of postbiotics and their applications in meat matrices, with the aim of summarizing current strategies to enhance their efficacy in this field and proposing novel approaches for delivering functional benefits through postbiotic incorporation.

Partial or total replacement of pork fat with homologous functional oils may meet consumer demand for healthy meat products while preserving their sensory quality. This study investigated the use of lard-derived diacylglycerol (DG) as a fat replacer on the flavor characteristics of frankfurters. The results revealed that substituting pork fat with purified glycerolized lard (PGL) at different levels (25%, 50%, and 100%) increased the water content and water activity, improved the L* and b* values, and protein thermal stability, while decreasing the a* value of frankfurters. Meanwhile, electronic nose results showed that replacing pork fat with PGL affected the aroma of frankfurters. Furthermore, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry detected 50 volatile compounds in all the frankfurters (such as aldehydes, alcohols, terpenes, and aromatic hydrocarbons, etc.). Replacing lard with PGL significantly increased the variety and content of flavor compounds in frankfurters (p < 0.05). According to the approximate odor activity values (OAV) > 1 and variable importance in projection (VIP) > 1, the distinct flavor of the frankfurters with different levels of PGL mainly resulted from aldehydes, alcohols, and terpenes. Generally, this study provided a valuable theoretical foundation for substituting fat with lard-derived DG to improve the flavor characteristics of frankfurters.

This study investigated the effect of replacing lard with purified glycerolized lard (PGL, containing 83 % DGs) on the protein stability and in vitro digestibility of pork meatballs. The results revealed that hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions were the main chemical forces in pork meatballs. Replacing lard with PGL (25 %-100 %) increased hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds, and α-helix structure, while reducing β-sheet, β-turn, and random coil structures in pork meatballs in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, substituting lard with PGL enhanced in vitro fat digestibility and reduced protein digestibility, which were confirmed by the microstructure, particle size, thermal properties, secondary structure, and chemical forces results. This is mainly because DGs promote the formation of ordered conformation of proteins and improve crosslinking by interacting with the gel matrix after being coated with protein. Overall, this study provides some useful information for the practical application of DGs to improve the quality of pork meatballs.

The study investigated the optimal swelling method for dried Abalone rugosa by assessing the impact of water and alkali swelling methods on various parameters including swelling rate, centrifugal loss, cooking loss, pH, texture characteristics, color, and water distribution of abalone. The findings revealed that water swelled abalone exhibited higher water holding capacity and lower pH compared to alkali swelled abalone. Moreover, the texture characteristics of abalone were significantly altered by the swelling process; specifically, water swelled abalone showed remarkable improvements in tenderness and elasticity as opposed to alkali swelled counterparts which displayed significantly lower (p < 0.05) hardness, cohesiveness, and chewiness values. Additionally, water swelling resulted in reduced water fluidity and shortened initial relaxation times of abalone samples, leading to a higher content of immobile water while decreasing the content of free water. Based on these outcomes, it can be concluded that employing the water swelling method enhances both quality and moisture retention capacity of swollen Abalone when compared to using alkaline swelling.

BACKGROUND:Pickering emulsions prepared with octenyl succinic anhydride-modified starch (OSAS) show significant promise as replacements for animal fat. However, the underlying mechanism of incorporating an OSAS-based Pickering emulsion into a myofibrillar protein (MP) gel and its impact on the gel properties remain poorly understood. In this study, the effects of OSAS at varying concentrations (0-10.0 g kg-1) on the stability of Pickering emulsion and the resultant gel properties of MP were investigated. RESULTS:Emulsion stability was assessed using a stability analyzer, revealing a significant enhancement with increasing OSAS concentration. Compared with MP gel, the incorporation of the OSAS-based Pickering emulsion markedly improved the texture of the composite gels, increasing the gel hardness from 0.28 to 0.66 N. Moreover, water-holding capacity of composite gels rose from 28.5% to 61.2%, with a notable increase in immobilized water and a decrease in mobilized water. Rheological analysis revealed that the interactions of modified starch with MP and water molecules bolstered the elastic modulus of the gels. Additionally, the presence of OSAS-stabilized emulsions led to reduced surface hydrophobicity and sulfhydryl content of proteins in the gels, while partially inhibiting protein oxidation. CONCLUSION:OSAS, notably at a high concentration, improved the physical stability of Pickering emulsion and the properties of MP gel. This research provides fundamental insights for the development of high-quality emulsified meat products. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of pork oxidation through modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on gel characteristics of myofibrillar proteins (MP) during the heat-induced gelation process. The pork longissimus thoracis (LT) was treated by MAP at varying oxygen concentrations (0, 20, 40, 60, and 80% O2) with a 5-day storage at 4 °C for the detection of MP oxidation and gel properties. The findings showed the rise of O2 concentration resulted in a significant increase of carbonyl content, disulfide bond, and particle size, and a decrease of sulfhydryl content and MP solubility (p < 0.05). The gel textural properties and water retention ability were significantly improved in MAP treatments of 0–60% O2 (p < 0.05), but deteriorated at 80% O2 level. As the concentration of O2 increased, there was a marked decrease in the α-helix content within the gel, accompanied by a simultaneous increase in β-sheet content (p < 0.05). Additionally, a judicious oxidation treatment (60% O2 in MAP) proved beneficial for crafting dense and uniform gel networks. Our data suggest that the oxidation treatment of pork mediated by O2 concentration in MAP is capable of reinforcing protein hydrophobic interaction and disulfide bond formation, thus contributing to the construction of superior gel structures and properties.

Probiotic intervention is an effective strategy to alleviate oxidative stress-related diseases. Our previous studies found that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum NJAU-01 (NJAU-01) exhibited antioxidant effects in a D-galactose (D-gal)-induced aging mouse model. However, the underlying mechanism remains to be unveiled. This study was aimed to investigate the ameliorative effect and mechanism of NJAU-01 against oxidative stress induced by D-gal. The results showed that NJAU-01 could reverse the tendency of a slow body weight gain induced by d-gal. NJAU-01 relieved hepatic oxidative stress via increasing the hepatic total antioxidant capacity and antioxidant enzyme activities including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT). Moreover, the malondialdehyde (MDA) level was reversed after NJAU-01 supplementation. The proteomic results showed that there were 201 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between NJAU-01 and D-gal groups. NJAU-01 regulated the expressions of glutathione S-transferase Mu 5 (Gstm5), glutathione S-transferase P2 (Gstp2) and NADH dehydrogenase 1 alpha subcomplex subunit 7 (Ndufa7) related to oxidative stress, and autophagy protein 5 (Atg5) and plasma alpha-l-fucosidase (Fuca2) involved in autophagy, etc. 16S rDNA sequencing results showed that NJAU-01 supplementation could regulate the gut microbiota dysbiosis induced by D-gal via increasing the relative abundances of the phylum Firmicutes and the genus Lactobacillus and reducing the relative abundances of the phylum Bacteroidetes and the genera Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group as well as Prevotellaceae_UCG-001, etc.. Spearman correlation analysis results showed that the altered gut microbiota composition had a significant correlation with antioxidant enzyme activities and the DEPs related to oxidative stress. Overall, NJAU-01 alleviated hepatic oxidative stress induced by D-gal via manipulating the gut microbiota composition and hepatic protein expression profile.

This study investigated the probiotic properties, functional activities and fermentation performances of Pediococcus pentosaceus JS91 (JS91) and Pediococcus pentosaceus JS96 (JS96). The results of probiotic properties showed that JS91 and JS96 possessed gastrointestinal tolerance, aggregation and antimicrobial activities. Functional activity results found that the cell-free supernatants of JS91 and JS96 showed good antioxidant activity. Meanwhile, the two strains exhibited cholesterol degrading ability. The fermentation performance results showed that JS91 and JS96 could produce acid, grow steadily in pear juice, decrease the pH value and increase the titratable acidity of fermented pear juice. Moreover, JS91 and JS96 could enhance the superoxide anion radical scavenging activity and total antioxidant capacity of the fermented pear juice. Sensory evaluation results showed that JS91 and JS96 could improve the overall acceptability of fermented pear juice. The present findings could provide valuable information for the application of JS91 and JS96 as functional starter cultures in fermented foods.

The objective of this study was to investigate the role of the replacing animal fat in the meat gel system with lard-based diacylglycerol (DG), which has health benefits and similar characteristics (such as taste, smell, and usability) to lard triacylglycerol (TG, the major component of pork fat). The impact of lard-based DG on the thermal gelation and rheological properties of myofibrillar protein (MP) as influenced by the incorporation of soy protein isolate (SPI, 0-0.75% protein) was investigated, and the interaction mechanism was also explored. The gel structure became more continuous and compact with the incorporation of DG or purified DG (PDG) and the decrease of SPI content, as reflected by the change of secondary structures, which was beneficial to restrict the mobility of immobilized water. With the incorporation of DG or PDG and the decrease in the amount of SPI, the gel strength, G', and G'' were increased. Molecular docking results further revealed that the DG interacted with SPI mainly through van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds, and interacted with MP mainly through van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonds, and hydrophobic interactions. More importantly, the negative binding energies of the DG-protein complexes were lower than those of the TG-protein complexes, indicating that the interaction was spontaneous and that DG is more likely to interact with proteins than TG. In conclusion, this study provides a vital theoretical basis at the molecular level for the development of desired quality meat products containing DG with health benefits.