Effect of multiple freeze-thaw cycles on water migration, protein conformation and quality attributes of beef longissimus dorsi muscle by real-time low field nuclear magnetic resonance and Raman spectroscopy

Jiaying Zhu; Shanshan Li; Liang Yang; Zerun Zhao; Jiulin Xia; Yingying Zhu; Chunbao Li

doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2023.112644

Effect of multiple freeze-thaw cycles on water migration, protein conformation and quality attributes of beef longissimus dorsi muscle by real-time low field nuclear magnetic resonance and Raman spectroscopy

Food Res Int. 2023 Apr:166:112644. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.112644. Epub 2023 Feb 24.

Authors

Jiaying Zhu¹, Shanshan Li², Liang Yang³, Zerun Zhao⁴, Jiulin Xia⁵, Yingying Zhu⁶, Chunbao Li⁷

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Meat Processing and Quality Control, MOE, Key Laboratory of Meat Processing, MOA, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production, Processing and Quality Control, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: Jying.zhu@foxmail.com.
² Key Laboratory of Meat Processing and Quality Control, MOE, Key Laboratory of Meat Processing, MOA, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production, Processing and Quality Control, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: 2021208014@njau.stu.en.
³ Suzhou Niumag Analytical Instrument Corporation, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: l_yang@niumag.com.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Meat Processing and Quality Control, MOE, Key Laboratory of Meat Processing, MOA, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production, Processing and Quality Control, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: 2022108005@stu.njau.edu.cn.
⁵ Suzhou Weizhixiang Food Co., LTD., Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: xiajiulin@weizhixiang.com.
⁶ Key Laboratory of Meat Processing and Quality Control, MOE, Key Laboratory of Meat Processing, MOA, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production, Processing and Quality Control, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China; Engineering Research Center of Magnetic Resonance Analysis Technology, Department of Food Nutrition and Test, Suzhou Vocational University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: yingy_zhu@163.com.
⁷ Key Laboratory of Meat Processing and Quality Control, MOE, Key Laboratory of Meat Processing, MOA, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production, Processing and Quality Control, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: chunbaoli@njau.edu.cn.

PMID: 36914334
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.112644

Abstract

Repeated freezing and thawing (F-T) happens during long-term storage and transportation due to the temperature variation, causing quality deterioration of beef products and influencing consumer acceptance. This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between quality attributes, protein structural changes and water real-time migration of beef with different F-T cycles. The results showed that multiply F-T cycles damaged the muscle microstructure and protein structure tended to denature and unfold, led lower population of water reabsorbed, thus triggering the decrease of water capacity, especially a decrease of T₂₁ and A₂₁ of completely thawed beef samples, finally affected the quality, such as tenderness, color and lipid oxidation of beef muscle. Beef should not be abused by F-T cycles >3 times, the quality extremely degraded when subjected to 5 or more F-T cycles, and real-time LF-NMR provided a new aspect to help us control the thawing process of beef.

Keywords: Beef; Multiple freeze–thaw cycles; Quality; RT-NMR; Raman spectroscopy; Thawing.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Cattle
Freezing
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / methods
Muscle, Skeletal / chemistry
Protein Conformation
Spectrum Analysis, Raman*
Water* / chemistry

Substances

Water