Effect of Monascus as a nitrite substitute on color, lipid oxidation, and proteolysis of fermented meat mince
文摘
Monascus spp. are fungi, traditionally eaten in Asian countries, that have the the potential to be used as a nitrite substitute in meat-product processing. Effects of using Monascus ruber MJ-1 as a nitrite substitute on color, lipid oxidation and proteolysis of fermented meat mince were investigated in this study. After 4 days of fermentation, a* and L* values for the samples were significantly higher and lower than the values for the control, respectively; however, b* values were significantly lower than that of the control throughout the fermentation process (pMonascus ruber MJ-1 fermentation decreased the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) value and increased the myofibril fragmentation index (MFI) value of meat mince significantly (pSDS-PAGE results further indicated that myofibrillar proteins were degraded during fermentation, while sarcoplasmic proteins were not. These results suggest prospects for the broad application of Monascus as a nitrite substitute in meat processing.