Inhibition of Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine and Nε-(carboxyethyl)lysine formation in air-fried beef tenderloins marinated with concentrated cranberry juice

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of marinating beef tenderloin with concentrated cranberry juice on the formation of Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and Nε-(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL). In order to achieve this, the concentrated cranberry juice was prepared from cranberry fruit and characterised. Subsequently, beef tenderloins were marinated at two different concentrations (25% and 50%) and three different marination times (2, 6 and 24 hours), after which they were cooked in an airfryer at 200 °C for 12 minutes. Following the cooking process, CML, CEL, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and colour were analysed. It was found that concentrated cranberry juice has high phytochemical and bioactivity properties. Cranberry juice was found to be high in total phenolic compounds (TPC), total flavonoid compounds (TFC), antioxidant activity and rich in bioactive compounds. It was found that cranberry juice significantly altered the colour properties (L*, a*, and b*) of raw beef tenderloin samples (p < 0.05). It was observed that increasing the concentration and time of the marinade significantly inhibited the formation of CML (p < 0.05), but that it did not significantly inhibit the formation of CEL (p > 0.05). As the concentration*time interaction increased from the control variable, the level of CML decreased (p < 0.01). This interaction inhibited CML by up to 12.39 μg/g, reducing it to 1.2 μg/g. An interaction between CML and TBARS and pH values was identified. In conclusion, marinating beef tenderloin with concentrated cranberry juice effectively inhibits the formation of CML while stabilising the formation of CEL, demonstrating its potential as a strategy to mitigate the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in meat products.