Utilizing ultrasound combined with quinoa protein to improve the texture and rheological properties of Chinese style reduced-salt pork meatballs (lion’s head)

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of ultrasound treatment times (30 min and 60 min) and levels of quinoa protein (QPE) addition (1 % and 2 %) on the quality of Chinese style reduced-salt pork meatballs, commonly known as lion’s head. The water-holding capacity (WHC), gel and rheology characteristics, and protein conformation were assessed. The results indicated that extending the ultrasound treatment time and elevating the quinoa protein content caused conspicuous improvements (P<0.05) in the cooking yield, WHC, textural characteristics, color difference, and salt-soluble protein (SSP) solubility of the meatballs. Furthermore, the structural alterations induced by the ultrasound treatment combined with quinoa protein addition included enhancement in β-sheet, β-turn, and random coil structure contents, along with a red-shift in the intrinsic fluorescence peak. Additionally, the storage (G’) and loss modulus (G’’) of the raw meatballs significantly enhanced (P<0.05), indicating a denser gel structure in parallel with the microstructure. In conclusion, the findings demonstrated that ultrasound combined with quinoa protein enhanced the WHC and texture properties of Chinese style reduced-salt pork meatballs by improving SSP solubility.