The Effect of Some Polyphenols on Minced Pork during Refrigeration Compared with Ascorbic Acid

Abstract

Quality of meat and meat products by two oxidative processes is affected. The two processes are lipid peroxidation and myoglobin oxidation. To delay oxidative processes, in meat and meat products are added compounds with antioxidant activity.The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of (±)-catechin, quercetin, and gallic acid, on oxidative processes in minced pork, comparatively with ascorbic acid in the same concentration. The ability of antioxidants to reduce DPPH• and to chelate Fe (II) were determinated. Minced pork samples separately with the chemicals were treated. The treated samples with antioxidants were preserved for seven days at refrigeration temperature. Myoglobin, oxymyoglobin, metmyoglobin concentrations, peroxide value, conjugated dienes and trienes levels and TBARS value were determined. Polyphenols have showed important hydrogen radical donator and iron chelator activity, higher as ascorbic acid activities. All antioxidants were effective in myoglobin oxidation and lipid peroxidation inhibition on minced pork, but the three polyphenols ((±)-catechin, quercetin, and gallic acid) protected better myoglobin than ascorbic acid as showed the results.