Abstract
A diet containing cholesterol is an essential component of biological function; however, cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) remain a major public health concern. This study investigated the effects of cooking methods (boiling and frying) on the production levels of COPs in processed foods. Samples, as represented by minced beef, chicken sausages, and fish fillets, were subjected to different cooking methods followed by COP extraction using a saponification method. Then, six common COPs, 5α-cholest, α-epoxy, β-epoxy, 25-HC, triol, and 7-keto, were quantified by triple quadrupole gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GS-MS/MS). A significantly high number of COPs were detected in minced meat, of which 7-keto and triol were detected as major oxidation products, followed by chicken sausages and fish fillets (p ≤ 0.05). Compared to boiling, frying generated significantly more COPs, specifically triol (0.001–0.004 mg/kg) and 7-keto (0.001–0.200 mg/kg), in all samples. Interestingly, cholesterol level was found to be slightly (but not significantly) decreased in heat-treated samples due to oxidation during cooking, producing a higher number of COPs. Notably, the fish fillets were found to produce the fewest COPs due to the presence of a low amount of cholesterol and unsaturated fatty acids. In conclusion, adapting boiling as a way of cooking and choosing the right type of meat could serve to reduce COPs in processed foods.
Highlights
The consumption of meat provides nutritional value when appropriate methods have been applied to improve its shelf-life, texture, and taste and, importantly, to kill microorganisms [1,2,3]
The content level of cholesterol was found to be decreased in all heat treatments for all sample types except for fried minced beef, in which it was increased by about 4%, and boiled fish fillets, where it increased by about 20%
We found that processed meat products subjected to heat treatment resulted in an increase of cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) formation and a concurrent decrease in total cholesterol content
Summary
The consumption of meat provides nutritional value when appropriate methods have been applied to improve its shelf-life, texture, and taste and, importantly, to kill microorganisms [1,2,3]. In order to save time on meat preparation, processed meat products have gained popularity among a large portion of the population. To a greater extent, consuming precooked meat products is becoming more acceptable globally due to the lack of cooking time. A few processed meat foods (minced meat, sausages, ham, and bacon) are categorised as Group 1 carcinogens to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer [5]. Prospective US and European cohort studies and meta-analyses of epidemiological studies reported that long-term consumption of red meat, processed meat, can lead to an increased risk of overall mortality, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, and type 2 diabetes in both men and Molecules 2020, 25, 4978; doi:10.3390/molecules25214978 www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules
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