Assessment of functional components in sika deer and wild boar meats with improvement in processing and flavor and a novel analytical prediction method

Abstract

In Japan, where food self-sufficiency is low, gibier (wild game) is expected to contribute to agriculture by reducing greenhouse gases and to contribute to regional development without requiring imported feed. However, the toughness and odor of gibier have prevented its use in many areas. In this study, we increased the content of functional ingredients by liquefying the meat and also increased the contents of L-glutamic acid and L-aspartic acid, amino acids with umami taste, to investigate their use as supplements and seasonings. Because these analyses require expensive equipment and time-consuming labor, we examined the use of a colorimeter as a simple method.When deer and wild boar meats were subjected to protease treatment under high hydrostatic pressure (200 MPa, 50 °C) for 24 h, the meats were liquefied. When the imidazole peptides of the liquefied gibier meat were examined, a maximum fourfold increase in the amount of anserine was observed in deer meat and a 10-fold increase in the amount of anserine was observed in wild boar meat. When this increased amount of anserine was compared with CIE L*a*b* values measured with a colorimeter, a negative correlation was observed. These results indicate that the amount of anserine can be easily measured by a colorimeter without free amino acid analysis. On the other hand, there was an increase or decrease in carnosine content. This may be because carnosine is decomposed more quickly than anserine. The amount of amino acids with umami flavor was dependent on the type and amount of enzyme.The drawback of this experiment was that only loin meat was used, and meat from other parts of the body might yield different results. In summary, protease treatment of deer and wild boar meats at high hydrostatic pressure (200 MPa, 50 °C) for 24 h resulted in liquefaction of the meat. In addition, the increase in functional and umami components shown in this study has made it possible to use the meat as a supplement or seasoning. Further investigation of other body parts or types of meat is planned in the future.