Mechanism of polyhydroxy alcohol-mediated curing on moisture migration of minced pork tenderloin: On the basis of molecular docking

• Published in: Food Chemistry: X Vol. 15; p. 100401
• Main Authors: Liu, Linggao, Zhou, Ying, Wan, Jing, Zhu, Qiujin, Bi, Shenghui, Zhou, Yeling, Gu, Sha, Chen, Dan, Huang, Yanpei, Hu, Bokai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 30.10.2022
• Subjects: Moisture migration; Molecular docking; Polyhydroxy alcohol; Salt content; Water activity
• ISSN: 2590-1575; 2590-1575
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2022.100401

• Polyhydroxy alcohols affect salt diffusion and moisture migration. • Polyhydroxy alcohols cause the water to migrate out to reduce aw in meat. • Polyhydroxy alcohols retard salt diffusion into the meat by forming a viscose barrier. • Polyhydroxy alcohols can prevent meat structural damage by binding to myosin. This study investigated the mechanism of glycerol, xylitol, and sorbitol-mediated curing of cured minced pork tenderloin. The use of polyhydroxy alcohol during mediated curing significantly reduced the salt content (p < 0.01) and water activity (aw) of the cured pork tenderloin. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LFNMR) revealed that 1 % glycerol, 1 % xylitol, 1 % sorbitol, and 10 % glycerol-mediated curing decreased water mobility, and improved water holding capacity (WHC), and produced uniform dense microstructures. Raman spectroscopy and molecular docking indicated that polyhydroxy alcohols formed hydrogen bonds with myosin, as well as hydrogen bonds with free water molecules to convert free water into bound water to reduce aw, and altered the hydrophobic environment of myosin surface to reduce structural damage caused by high salt content. In conclusion, using polyhydroxy alcohol to mediate curing can effectively reduce the salt content of cured meat and provide a theoretical basis for its application in the cured meat industry.