Effects of Frozen Storage Temperature and Duration on Changes in Physicochemical Properties of Beef Myofibrillar Protein

Shuyi Qian,Waris Mehmood,Christophe Blecker,Chunhui Zhang,Xia Li,Hang Wang,Marcio Carocho

doi:10.1155/2021/8836749

Abstract

This study aimed to address the effects of frozen storage temperature and duration on the changes in physicochemical properties of beef myofibrillar protein. The beef was stored at −1, −6, −9, −12, and −18°C for 28, 84, 126, 168, and 168 days, respectively. The myofibrillar protein of beef samples denatured gradually with the extention of storage period. Regarding the samples stored at temperature range of −12∼−1°C, higher storage temperature resulted in more severe denaturation (the myofibrillar protein exhibited lower sulfhydryl content, Ca2+-ATPase activity, ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds, and higher surface hydrophobicity). Particularly, difference in −12 and −18°C did not yield significant effects upon the protein properties throughout 168-day storage P > 0.05 . These results indicated that lowering freezing temperature may not minimize myofibrillar protein denaturation in a limited storage duration, which was also confirmed by the quality properties of beef.

Highlights

Beef, containing abundant protein and nutrients, is an excellent food source for human health
The ice crystal formation would lead to changes in spatial structure of Myofibrillar protein (MP) which further induce thiol groups to expose at the intramolecular level [23]. e oxidation of thiol groups promotes the formation of disulfide bonds, and as a result, sulfhydryl content consistently decreases during frozen storage [24]. ese results indicated that lower storage temperature could inhibit the oxidation of thiol groups to a certain extent
For beef samples, a longer storage duration and higher storage temperature resulted in lower sulfhydryl content, Ca2+-ATPase activity, ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds, and higher surface hydrophobicity of myofibrillar protein

Summary

Introduction

Beef, containing abundant protein and nutrients, is an excellent food source for human health. Frozen storage has been applied for many years to maintain beef safety and quality. In this regard, freezing temperature is one of the most important factors for extending the shelf-life of highly perishable food such as fresh meat [1]. Conventional freezing storage (−18°C) is widely used for long-term beef preservation [3]. It consumes a lot of energy during storage and temperature abuse occurs frequently. It is essential choosing a suitable storage temperature for beef to meet the current demands in the meat-processing industry. Compared to the aforementioned storage temperatures, there is rather limited information on the effects of temperature range of −3∼−18°C on meat freezing preservation

Methods

Results

Conclusion