Changes in Lipid Oxidation, Fatty Acid Profile and Volatile Compounds of Traditional Kazakh Dry-Cured Beef during Processing and Storage

Abstract

In the present study, changes in lipid oxidation, fatty acid profile and volatile compounds of traditional Kazakh dry-cured beef were investigated during its processing and storage. The moisture content decreased from 740.77 to 587.41 g/kg during processing, and the fat content increased from 21.03 to 35.69 g/kg. The 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) values were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by processing and storage time. The proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) decreased during processing, whereas the saturated fatty acids (SFA) increased. Solid phase microextraction–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME–GC/MS) was used to identify and quantify 38 volatile compounds. Aldehydes were the most abundant volatile compounds in the final product. Principal component analysis results showed that the first principal component was dominated by fat, SFA, TBARS, furans, PUFA, moisture and hydrocarbons; the second principal component was dominated by esters, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes and pH. Practical Applications Flavor is one of the most valuable quality characteristic for Kazakh dry-cured beef. Knowledge of the effect of lipid oxidation on development of flavor will allow producers to control flavor quality for this product. This study is significantly practical for industrial development of traditional dry-cured beef.