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A fundamental regulatory framework to elucidate the role of electrical stimulation (ES) in reducing long production cycles, enhancing protein utilization, and boosting product quality of dry-cured ham is essential. However, how mitochondria and enzymes in meat fibers are altered by ES during post-processing, curing, and fermentation procedures remains elusive. This study sought to explore the impact of ES on the regulation of heat shock proteins (HSP27, HSP70), apoptotic pathways, and subsequent influences on dry-cured pork loin quality. The gathered data validated the hypothesis that ES notably escalates mitochondrial oxidative stress and accelerates mitochondrial degradation along the ripening process. The proapoptotic response in ES-treated samples was increased by 120.7%, with a cellular apoptosis rate 5-fold higher than that in control samples. This mitochondrial degradation is marked by increased ratios of Bax/Bcl-2 protein along the time course, indicating that apoptosis could contribute to the dry-cured ham processing. ES was shown to further down-regulate HSP27 and HSP70, establishing a direct correlation with the activation of mitochondrial apoptosis pathways, accompanied by dry-cured ham quality improvements. The findings show that ES plays a crucial role in facilitating the ripening of dry-cured ham by inducing mitochondrial apoptosis to reduce HSP expression. This knowledge not only explains the fundamental mechanisms behind myofibril degradation in dry-cured ham production but also offers a promising approach to enhance quality and consistency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyhydroxy alcohol-mediated curing has great potential for producing low-salt cured meat products. This study investigated the mass transfer kinetics and the one-way diffusion simulation of sodium chloride (NaCl) during the curing process. Furthermore, Fick's second law determined the NaCl diffusion coefficient (De) of xylitol-mediated cured pork tenderloin. The results demonstrated that adding xylitol could reduce the De of NaCl. The De of NaCl, calculated using the one-way model, was 1.29 × 10−9 m2·s−1, 1.22 × 10−9 m2·s−1, 1.2 × 10−9 m2·s−1, and 1.15 × 10−9 m2·s−1 when the amount of xylitol added was 0%, 4%, 8%, and 12% (w/w), respectively. This result agrees with the predicted values from the power function time-varying model. Moreover, a three-dimensional simulating model of mass transfers constructed using COMSOL Multiphysics was developed to evaluate the NaCl diffusion in pork tenderloin during the curing process. This model has high accuracy and can be used to describe the diffusion of NaCl in curing. Overall, this study provided a foundation for NaCl diffusion and distribution during the curing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piophila casei is a flesh-feeding Diptera insect that adversely affects foodstuffs, such as dry-cured ham and cheese, and decaying human and animal carcasses. However, the unknown mitochondrial genome of P. casei can provide information on its genetic structure and phylogenetic position, which is of great significance to the research on its prevention and control. Therefore, we sequenced, annotated, and analyzed the previously unknown complete mitochondrial genome of P. casei. The complete mt genome of P. casei is a typical circular DNA, 15,785 bp in length, with a high A + T content of 76.6%. It contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCG), 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 1 control region. Phylogenetic analysis of 25 Diptera species was conducted using Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods, and their divergence times were inferred. The comparison of the mt genomes from two morphologically similar insects P. casei and Piophila megastigmata indicates a divergence time of 7.28 MYA between these species. The study provides a reference for understanding the forensic medicine, taxonomy, and genetics of P. casei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique processing technology of dry-cured meat products leads to strong proteolysis, which produces numerous peptides. The purpose of this investigation was the systematic isolation, purification, and identification of potentially cardioprotective bioactive peptides from dry-cured pork coppa during processing. According to the results of anti-platelet-activating factor acetyl hydrolase activity and radical scavenging ability in vitro, the inhibitory effect of M1F2 in purified fractions on cardiovascular inflammation was higher than that of M2F2. The peptide of M1F2 was identified by nano-liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 30 peptides were identified. Based on bioinformatics methods, including in silico analysis and molecular docking, LTDKPFL, VEAPPAKVP, KVPVPAPK, IPVPKK, and PIKRSP were identified as the most promising potential platelet-activating factor acetyl hydrolase inhibitory peptides. Overall, bioactive peptides produced during dry-cured pork coppa processing demonstrate positive effects on human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteases, especially microbial proteases, are widely used in food processing. The purpose of this study was aimed to purify an extracellular protease produced by the strain Staphylococcus simulans QB7 and to evaluate its ability in hydrolyzing meat proteins and generating antioxidant and anti-inflammatory peptides. The optimal conditions for producing the enzyme were as follows: inoculum ratio, 10%; initial pH, 6.5; temperature, 32 °C; incubation time, 36 h; and rotation speed, 160 rpm. The protease had a molecular weight of approximately 47 kDa, possessing the optimal activity at 50 °C, pH 7.0, The protease was stable at pH 4.0–8.0 and 30–60 °C, and the activity was improved by Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, and Zn2+ ions, whereas it was inhibited by Cu2+, Co2+, Fe3+, Ba2+, Fe2+, β-M, and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA). The protease could effectively hydrolyze meat proteins, and the generated hydrolysate could significantly inhibit tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα)-induced oxidative stress, including superoxide and malondialdehyde levels and inflammation (vascular adhesion molecule-1 [VCAM-1] and cyclooxygenase 2 [COX2)) in human vascular EA.hy926 cells. The present findings support the ability of S. simulans QB7 protease in generating antioxidant and anti-inflammatory peptides during the fermentation of meat products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the hazards of high salt intake and the current status of research on low-sodium meat products, this study was to analyze the effect of ultrasound combined with glycerol-mediated low-sodium salt curing on the quality of pork tenderloin by analyzing the salt content, water activity (aw), cooking loss, and texture. The results of scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet fluorescence, and surface hydrophobicity were proposed to reveal the mechanism of the effect of combined ultrasound and glycerol-mediated low sodium salt curing on the quality characteristics of pork tenderloin. The results showed that the co-mediated curing could reduce salt content, aw, and cooking loss (p < 0.05), improve texture and enhance product quality. Compared with the control group, the co-mediated curing increased the solubility of the myofibrillar protein, improved the surface hydrophobicity of the protein, increased the content of reactive sulfhydryl groups (p < 0.05), and changed the protein structure. The SEM results showed that the products treated using a co-mediated curing process had a more detailed and uniform pore distribution. These findings provide new insights into the quality of ultrasonic-treated and glycerol-mediated low-salt cured meat products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional dry-cured hams are easily contaminated by toxigenic fungi during the fermentation and ripening stages. The detection and positive rates of ochratoxin A (OTA) are the highest among mycotoxins detected in traditional dry-cured hams, indicating that OTA in hams is a potential safety hazard to human health. This review addresses the mycotoxin-producing fungal species, the toxigenic conditions causing OTA contamination worldwide, the prevalence of OTA contamination in dry-cured hams, and the detection methods applied in OTA analysis. Additionally, this study introduces methods to prevent and control OTA in traditional dry-cured hams. The growth of common mycotoxin-producing fungi and the accumulation of mycotoxins in dry-cured ham can be controlled by a microbial starter. This review provides an important theoretical foundation for the research and control of OTA in traditional dry-cured hams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suan Rou (SR), a traditional fermented meat, is widely favored by consumers due to its unique flavor and characteristics. To study the relationship between the core differential micro-organisms and differential volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of SR from six regions of China, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and gas-chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) technologies were used to analyze the correlation between micro-organisms and VOCs in SR from Xiangxi of Hunan, Rongshui of Guangxi, Zunyi of Guizhou, Jinping of Guizhou, Congjiang of Guizhou, and Libo of Guizhou. A total of 13 core micro-organisms were identified at the genus level. Moreover, 95 VOCs were identified in the SR samples by GC-IMS analysis, with alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and esters comprising the major VOCs among all the samples. The results showed a strong correlation (|r| > 0.8, p < 0.05) between the core differential micro-organisms and differential VOCs, including four bacteria, five fungi, and 12 VOCs. Pediococcus, Debaryomyces, Zygosaccharomyces, and Candida significantly contributed to the unique VOCs of SR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus simulans and Lactobacillus plantarum screened from Guizhou specialty food were used to prepare fermented pork loin ham. The sensory qualities and flavor profiles of fermented pork loin hams from 0 to 42 days were investigated in order to reveal the dynamics of fermented pork loin ham. The results show that total free amino acids (TFAA) content reached the highest value on the 35th day, and the umami amino acids, including aspartic acid (ASP), glutamic acid (GLU), glycine (GLY), and alanine (ALA), were the main amino acids in all periods. Notably, the RV coefficient (0.875) indicates that free amino acids (FAA) are highly correlated with the sensory score of the E-tongue. In terms of the volatile compounds identified, the esters content gradually increased between 7 and 42 days, and ethyl octanoate was the most abundant compound during all periods. These esters imparted a characteristic aroma component to the fermented pork loin ham. The most important finding was that the increase in the content of esters represented by octanoic acid-ethyl ester might be related to the increase in the content of FAA with the increase in fermentation time. Both the E-nose and E-tongue showed good discrimination ability for fermented tenderloin ham with different fermentation times, which was crucial in cases with large clusters. In addition, the multiple factor analysis (MFA) indicated that the E-nose aroma value might be the key factor in distinguishing fermented pork loin ham with different fermentation times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]