Impact of cinnamaldehyde on the formation of biogenic amines, microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory quality of smoked horsemeat sausage

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the effects of cinnamaldehyde on the accumulation of biogenic amines (BAs), the growth of microorganisms, and sensory quality in Xinjiang smoked horsemeat sausage. Single-molecule real-time sequencing (SMRT) was used to identify bacterial composition. The results revealed that cinnamaldehyde significantly decreased the contents of tyramine, histamine, putrescine, and cadaverine in sausage during ripening and storage. Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Lactococcus, and Weissella were the abundant bacterial genera during the fermentation. Compared with the other groups, pH, as well as the counts and relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae, were lower in the cinnamaldehyde batch. What's more, amino acid analysis and sensory evaluation showed that the incorporation of cinnamaldehyde promoted the release of amino acids and improved the flavor of smoked horsemeat sausage.The results of principal component analysis showed that spoilage bacteria (especially Enterobacteriaceae) are responsible for the accumulation of BAs, and cinnamaldehyde has an inhibitory effect on these indicators. Therefore, the addition of cinnamaldehyde is an effective method of inhibiting BAs formation, minimizing the proportion of spoilage microorganisms, and improving the quality of smoked horsemeat sausage.