Chinese Dry-cured Ham Research Articles

Debaryomyces hansenii Strains from Traditional Chinese Dry-Cured Ham as Good Aroma Enhancers in Fermented Sausage

In some countries, yeasts are still not allowed in the production of commercially fermented sausages. Therefore, further research is needed on producing fermented meat products using different strains of yeasts. In this study, two strains of Debaryomyces hansenii (D. hansenii Y61 and Y67) were inoculated in fermented sausages to study their effects as starter cultures. The inoculation of D. hansenii strains affected ripening by decreasing the pH and aw. The sausages inoculated with Y61 and Y67 exhibited decreases in lipid oxidation of 40.70% and 36.04%, respectively, and Enterobacteriaceae counts of 50% and 100%, respectively. The inoculating yeasts Y61 and Y67 increased the lightness (L*) and redness (a*) of fermented sausages. The D. hansenii-inoculated sausages had higher levels of free amino acids and fatty acids, which improved the digestibility, sensory value, and safety of these sausages. Moreover, the total amount of ester compounds increased by 87.14% and 83.31% in the Y61- and Y67-inoculated groups, respectively, which contributed to the aroma. Better sensory attributes were also found in the sausages inoculated with Y61 and Y67 D. hansenii. Native D. hansenii Y61 and Y67 are, therefore, good starter cultures for fermented sausage production. Together, the results provide data supporting future research and the use of yeast-fermented sausages.

Odorants Identified in Chinese Dry-Cured Ham Contribute to Salty Taste Enhancement.

Jinhua dry-cured ham (JDH) is a traditional fermented Chinese meat product. We studied the dynamic sensory and emotional profiles of JDHs obtained by five preparation methods and the corresponding release of sodium ions (Na+), potassium ions (K+), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during oral processing. The VOCs with salty taste enhancement abilities were screened based on the correlations of VOCs with salty flavor and concentration of Na and K ions with salty flavor. A trained sensory panel evaluated the saltiness enhancements of selected VOCs by using static and dynamic sensory methods. The results revealed that Na+, K+, and selected VOCs were mainly released during 0-10 s of the chewing process. The release of Na+ and K+ in JDH residue samples exhibited consistently decreasing trends, while in saliva, their concentrations increased. The VOCs showing a high correlation with Na+ and K+ and salty flavor have saltiness enhancement abilities in both NaCl solutions and NaCl + MSG mixtures. Odor-induced saltiness was pronounced at low salt concentrations (0.2% NaCl). The investigation demonstrated 16 VOCs exhibiting saltiness enhancement abilities, including 4 pyrazines, 5 acids, 4 sulfur-containing compounds, and 3 other compounds. The sensory evaluation suggested pyrazines and sulfur-containing compounds as good saltiness enhancers. 2-Furfuryl mercaptan significantly enhanced the salty sensation in the NaCl + MSG solutions when compared with MSG alone (p < 0.05). This research provides evidence that certain odorants identified in JDHs exhibit salty-enhancing properties, indicating their potential for salt reduction at the industrial level.

Mushroom alcohol(1-octen-3-ol)and other 7 aroma compounds selected from Chinese dry-cured hams can enhance saltiness perception

Reducing NaCl content in food while maintaining acceptability poses a significant challenge. Odor-induced saltiness enhancement (OISE) emerges as a promising solution. This study utilized gas chromatography-olfactory (GC-O) in conjunction with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to identify 37 key volatile compounds in three representative Chinese dry-cured hams. These compounds had an odor activity value (OAV) of ≥1 or a modification frequency (MF) of ≥30%. Subsequently, quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) identified eight odorants associated with saltiness. These included 1-octen-3-ol, nonanal, heptanal, 2-methylbutanal, 3-methyl-butanal, benzaldehyde, octanal, and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine. Remarkably, these odorants significantly intensified saltiness (P < 0.05) when added to a low-concentration NaCl solution (0.3%), compared to zero or high concentrations (0.75% and 0.8%). As a result, traditional Chinese salty meat products offer a promising source of odorants for enhancing saltiness, compensating for reduced NaCl content through OISE.

Flavour Characteristics of Fermented Meat Products in China: A Review

Fermentation of meat products refers to a series of physical, biological or chemical changes in raw meat that occurs under the actions of enzymes or via microbial fermentation and results in the formation of meat products with special flavours, colours and textures that have a long history in China. These products have a unique fermented flavour, bright colour and longer shelf life than ordinary meat products, and some have proteins that are more easily absorbed by the body due to the fermentation of beneficial bacteria. Flavour development in meat products is a dynamic process. During the processing and storage of fermented meat products, the breakdown of proteins and fats is accelerated due to the addition of different fermenting agents. Moreover, the physicochemical reactions that occur within the meat products and the actions of microorganisms during the fermentation process result in the production of flavour compounds, which will determine the final flavour characteristics of the fermented meat product. This paper reviews the flavour characteristics of Chinese dry-cured hams, sausages, bacon, cured fish and sour meat and analyses the flavour substance composition of various products. Due to the differences in the raw materials, processes, auxiliary materials and fermentation processes of various types of fermented meat products in China (ham, sausage, bacon, etc.), the flavour substances contained in the various types of fermented meat products in China are different from each other. However, most fermented meat products in China are cured and fermented, and therefore, they share similarities in terms of their flavour substance composition. The flavour substances in fermented meat products mainly include alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, acids, phenols and aromatic hydrocarbons. The study of such flavour characteristics is of great significance in fermented meat product quality, and provides certain theoretical references for the study of domestic fermented meat products.

Insight into the relationship between microorganism communities and flavor quality of Chinese dry-cured boneless ham with different quality grades

Microorganisms played a key role in developing the flavor quality, while few studies focused on the relationship between microbial diversity and flavor quality of dry-cured boneless ham. To explore the relationship, sensory evaluation, lipases, microorganism communities, free fatty acids and volatile compounds were investigated in dry-cured boneless ham with different quality grades (NS, WS and GS groups); the correlation between cored microbes and crucial volatiles was further evaluated by metabolic network analysis. GS group showed the highest scores in aroma and overall acceptance among three groups. The highest values of phospholipase activities (7.88 U*g−1 protein) were shown in GS group, while the lowest values of TBARS (0.93 mg/kg) were observed in GS among three groups. High-throughput sequencing revealed that fungi showed the most various among three groups; Xerochrysium, Aspergillus, Penicillium and Debaryomyces were the most genera in GS. SPME-GC-MS revealed that GS showed higher contents and numbers in volatiles than other groups; aldehydes and furans were intensely response to the variations of volatiles among these groups. Metabolic pathway further revealed that several key species derived from Penicillium and Aspergillus accelerated the formation of volatiles by β-lipoxidation and Strecker degradation. These results indicated that molds could be the major contributors in developing and differentiating the flavor quality of Chinese dry-cured boneless ham.

Extraction and identification of bioactive peptides from Panxian dry-cured ham with multifunctional activities

Panxian dry-cured ham, a typical representative of traditional Chinese dry-cured ham, has a minimum time of ripening of 12 months, which results in intense proteolysis and the generation of numerous peptides. The purpose of this study was to measure the peptides with the activities of antioxidant, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), and platelet-activating factor-acetulhydrolase (PAF-AH) inhibitory, from the Panxian dry-cured ham. The results showed that Panxian dry-cured ham extracts had antioxidant, ACE, and PAF-AH inhibitory activities, and these activities increased significantly with increasing concentrations of extracts (P < 0.05). The <3 kDa peptide fraction prepared by 3 kDa cutoff membrane had significantly stronger inhibitory activity, compared with 3–10 kDa and >10 kDa fractions (P < 0.05). It was identified for the peptide fractions of below 3 kDa to use Nano-LC-ESI-MS/MS. Totally, 66 peptides were identified containing 2–16 amino acid residues. Among these peptides, 22.7%, 15.2%, and 9.09% were derived from myosin, beta-enolase, and actin, respectively. The bioactive peptides of Panxian dry-cured ham, generated during long ripening processing, are positively contributing to human health.

Analysis of aroma-active compounds in four Chinese dry-cured hams based on GC-O combined with AEDA and frequency detection methods

Chinese dry-cured hams have become increasingly appreciated by consumers because of their unique flavor characteristics. In this study, the volatile compounds of four Yunnan dry-cured hams (Xuanwei, Nuodeng, Sanchuan, and Saba) were characterized by monolithic material sorptive extraction (MMSE) and GC-MS. A total of 66 volatile compounds were identified, of which aldehydes and alkanes were the most abundant (>76.43%) in all four hams. The PCA result with 71.04% of the variability demonstrated the potential dominant compounds for the different dry-cured hams. The similarities and differences of aroma-active compounds among the different Yunnan dry-cured hams were studied by using gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) combined with aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) and frequency detection (FD) methods. The results demonstrated that 3-methylbutanal, hexanal, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, 1-octen-3-ol, dimethyl trisulfide, and nonanal were the most important aroma-active compounds in the Yunnan dry-cured hams. This study contributes to a better understanding of odor quality in Chinese dry-cured hams.

GC × GC-ToF-MS and GC-IMS based volatile profile characterization of the Chinese dry-cured hams from different regions

Chinese dry-cured hams have unique aroma characteristics appreciated by local consumers. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of six selected Chinese dry-cured hams (Mianning, Nuodeng, Saba, Sanchuan, Wanhua, and Xuanen) were analyzed by solvent assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE) combined with GC × GC-ToF-MS and head-space (HS) injection combined with GC-IMS. To visualize VOCs and differentiate samples, principal component analysis (PCA) and multiple factor analysis (MFA) were performed. GC × GC-ToF-MS resulted in over five times more VOCs (265) than GC-IMS (45). However, PCA and MFA indicated similar results using GC-IMS or GC × GC-ToF-MS data, suggesting HS-GC-IMS as a good choice to differentiate dry-cured hams from different regions. Xuanen ham from Yunnan Province having smoky aroma was significantly different from other hams, likely due to its unique process. Many aldehydes (heptanal, nonanal, etc.) played an important role in Sanchuan ham. Ketones were related to other four dry-cured hams, though they came from different regions. This study provides valuable analytical data to characterize and discriminate the flavor profile of Chinese dry-cured hams.

Flavor Composition and Microbial Community Structure of Mianning Ham.

Mianning ham, a traditional Chinese dry-cured ham, is protected by national geographical indications. To understand the surface and internal flavor composition and microbial community structure of Mianning ham, solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography (SPME-GC-MS) technology and Illumina high-throughput sequencing were utilized. The results showed that a total of 60 flavor substances were identified in the hams. Forty-nine kinds of flavorings were identified on the surface, including 14 aldehydes, 6 ketones, 10 alcohols, 5 esters, 7 hydrocarbons, 5 acids, and 2 other compounds. Thirty-six kinds of internal flavorings were identified, including 13 aldehydes, 4 ketones, 6 alcohols, 3 esters, 5 hydrocarbons, 4 acids and 1 other type. Decanal (34.91 μg/g) was the most prevalent compound on the surface, followed by n-hexanol (24.99 μg/g), n-hexanal (20.20 μg/g), and n-octyl (16.14 μg/g). n-Hexanal (20.74 μg/g) was the most common compound internally, followed by non-aldehyde (5.70 μg/g), 1-octene-3-alcohol (3.54 μg/g), and inverse-2-octenal (2.77 μg/g). Penicillium lanosum, Penicillium nalgiovense, Debaryomyces hansenii, Staphylococcus equorum, and Erwinia tasmaniensis were isolated from the surfaces of the hams by the traditional culture method. By Illumina high-throughput sequencing, three fungal phyla were identified. Ascomycota was the dominant phylum followed by Basidiomycota. At the genus level, 11 fungi were identified, of which Aspergillus was the dominant fungus, followed by Penicillium and Wallemia. These findings provide fundamental knowledge regarding the microorganisms and flavor compounds in Mianning ham, which will help industrial processors develop effective strategies for standardizing quality parameters.

Effects of partial NaCl substitution with high-temperature ripening on proteolysis and volatile compounds during process of Chinese dry-cured lamb ham

The effects of partial NaCl substitution combined with high-temperature ripening on the proteolysis and formation of volatile compounds in dry-cured lamb ham was investigated. Two salt treatments, I (0% KCl + 100% NaCl) and II (25% KCl + 75% NaCl), were considered. Although some studies have analyzed the influences of salt substitution on volatile compounds of dry-cured ham, no studies have evaluated lamb ham produced in China. Intensifying the high-temperature ripening lead to an increase in the formation of flavors generated by the Maillard reaction and Strecker degradation in both treatments, also, had a positive influence on proteolysis index and content of total free amino acids during the ripening stage. The application of 25% KCl did not influence the formation of volatiles during curing stage, however, there were more volatiles came from amino acids degradation in the final products with 25% KCl. Therefore, sodium reduction combined with high-temperature ripening may be an alternative method to manufacture Chinese dry-cured lamb hams.

Changes in the extent and products of In vitro protein digestion during the ripening periods of Chinese dry-cured hams

A long ripening period is essential for developing dry-cured ham flavor, but the effect of ripening process on its in vitro digestion product has not been extensively studied. Here, we investigated the in vitro digestion profiles from Chinese dry-cured ham (Jinhua, Rugao and Xuanwei) with different ripening periods by particle size measurement, gel eletrophoresis analysis and nano liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed that the in vitro digestibility of ham was in a good agreement with the particle size of digestion products. Among the three types dry-cured ham, Xuanwei showed the highest digestibility (93.46%), followed by Jinhua (74.46%). In term of ripening period, the 2-year Xuanwei and Jinhua showed the diversity of peptides (especially for peptide with molecular weight < 2500 Da), besides their good digestibility. Moreover, the highest amount of peptides (404) was observed in 2-year Jinhua compared to other hams. Our finding gave a new insight into the digestion profiles and nutritional properties of Chinese dry-cured hams.

Development of a portable electronic nose based on a hybrid filter-wrapper method for identifying the Chinese dry-cured ham of different grades

In this work, a portable electronic nose (e-nose) equipped with a smartphone was developed to identify the Chinese dry-cured ham of three grades. The gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) was employed for detection of the volatile organic compounds of hams and optimization of the sensor array. A hybrid filter-wrapper method was proposed to optimize the feature set which included the time and frequency domain features. The proposed hybrid method included two parts: the filter method based on mutual information mixed evaluation (MIME) which was applied to eliminate the irrelevant features, and the wrapper method based on support vector machine-backward feature elimination with cross-validation (SVM-BFECV) which was applied to removing the multicollinear features. Both the principal component analysis and T-distribution stochastic neighbor embedding with the hybrid filter-wrapper method presented good results, and all the samples could be classified completely. SVM, K-nearest neighbors and logistic regression were applied for the prediction works. SVM based on the hybrid method presented the best results, and the prediction accuracy and consuming time was 96.06% and 17.32 s, respectively. Above all, the proposed filter-wrapper method performed well in optimizing the feature data, and the three grades of hams can be clearly identified by using the developed portable e-nose based on the optimized features.

Dual-fiber solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for the analysis of volatile compounds in traditional Chinese dry-cured ham

For the purpose of obtaining a more comprehensive flavor profile, volatile compounds in traditional Chinese dry-cured hams were studied by dual-fiber solid-phase microextraction (SPME) using two fibers simultaneously. By using the selected pair of fibers and under the optimal extraction time, there were total seventy-two volatile compounds identified, which was higher than the mono-fiber SPME method using a single fiber. Out of the seventy-two compounds, twenty-six compounds were not detected by using mono-fiber SPME and five among them are classified as the major aromatic compounds in the literatures. Due to the higher coverage and less tendency for the occurrence of competition among the volatiles, the total amount of volatiles extracted by dual-fiber SPME (510.02 ng/kg) was higher than mono-fiber SPME. Three grades of dry-cured hams were successfully distinguished based on dual-fiber SPME. The volatile compounds belonged to nine chemical families and differed in different grades of dry-cured hams. These results show that dual-fiber SPME is capable of analyzing flavor profiles more comprehensively and distinguishing traditional Chinese dry-cured hams.

Combined Application of High-Throughput Sequencing and Metabolomics Reveals Metabolically Active Microorganisms During Panxian Ham Processing.

Panxian ham, a traditional Chinese dry-cured ham, is protected by national geographical indication. Similar to other fermented foods, the microbial population of dry-cured ham is pivotal to taste and flavor formation. This study aimed to establish the relationship between microorganisms and metabolites during the spontaneous fermentation of Panxian ham. Multivariate analysis based on metabolomics data revealed that continuous metabolic changes occurred during the entire fermentation process, with the most significant changes occurring in the initial stage of ripening. Thirty-one significantly different metabolites (SDMs) were identified as discriminant factor, and pathway analysis suggested that these metabolites were involved in 30 pathways, including alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism; and arginine and proline metabolism. Microbial community analysis using the Illumina MiSeq platform indicated that the bacterial community was more complex than the fungal community, and their succession regulation differed during processing. At the genus level, 11 bacteria and five fungi were identified as core microbes, of which Staphylococcus was the dominant bacteria and Debaryomyces and Aspergillus were the dominant fungi. Further, statistical redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that Staphylococcus, Debaryomyces, and Chromohalobacter promoted the production of amino and fatty acids; Cobetia and Aspergillus were associated with sugar metabolism, and Kushneria, Penicillium, and Yamadazyma were closely related with organic acids. These findings provide fundamental knowledge regarding the metabolically active microorganisms in Panxian ham, helping industrial processors to develop effective strategies for standardizing quality parameters.

Analysis of protein profiles and peptides during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of four Chinese dry-cured hams

In this study, the in vitro digestion with pepsin and trypsin enzymes was applied to mimic the gastrointestinal digestion of dry-cured hams from different producing districts of China. The analysis of digestibility and particle size revealed that the digestion characteristics of different dry-cured hams were significantly different (p < 0.05). During the gel electrophoresis analysis, protein profiles were characterized by analyzing 14 and 9 proteins generated during pepsin and pepsin/trypsin digestion. The relative intensities of protein bands could be used to distinguish different dry-cured hams based on principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). According to the analysis of peptide profiles, more than 50% of peptides were distributed in the molecular weight ranging from 1500 to 2500 Da, and two-step digestion had little effect on peptide generation due to the cleavage site specificity of pepsin and trypsin. This study provided evidences that it was possible to identify producing districts of different dry-cured hams based on digested characteristics.

Rapid discrimination of Chinese dry-cured hams based on Tri-step infrared spectroscopy and computer vision technology.

The aim of this study was to establish rapid and efficient methods based on a Tri-step infrared spectroscopy (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) integrated with second derivative infrared spectroscopy (SD-IR) and two-dimensional correlation infrared spectroscopy (2DCOS-IR)) and computer vision technology to identify and evaluate the quality of three Chinese dry-cured hams (Jinhua, Xuanwei and Rugao hams). 9 dry-cured hams (3 different quality grades of each geographical origin) had similar IR spectra. Nevertheless, they could be further discriminated visually by SD-IR and 2DCOS-IR spectra. All samples can be separated by the computer vision technology incorporated with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster analysis (CA). This study not only preliminarily verified the possibility of using Tri-step infrared spectroscopy and computer vision technology to discriminate the geographical origins and quality grades of Chinese dry-cured hams, but also provided prospects of the application of infrared spectroscopy and computer vision technology to authenticate other meat products.

Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum NJAU-01 on the protein oxidation of fermented sausage

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum NJAU-01 isolated from Chinese dry-cured ham (Jinhua ham) on the regulation of protein oxidation of fermented sausages. Fermented sausages were prepared with different concentrations of L. plantarum NJAU-01 (105 CFU/g, 107 CFU/g and 109 CFU/g), and the commercial strain was used as positive control. The results showed that L. plantarum NJAU-01 at 107 CFU/g and 109 CFU/g significantly lowered the protein carbonyl content and protein surface hydrophobicity compared with the control (P < 0.05). The total sulfhydryl contents in L. plantarum NJAU-01 groups were significantly higher than that of the group without starter culture (P < 0.05). Significant changes were found in sarcoplasmic protein bands within 130–250 kDa, 100–130 kDa and 25–35 kDa during sausage fermentation (P < 0.05). Our data suggest that L. plantarum NJAU-01 has the potential to be an antioxidant starter culture in fermented sausages.

Physical properties, compositions and volatile profiles of Chinese dry-cured hams from different regions

The aims of this work were to determine the physical characteristics (including color and texture profiles), compositions (including moisture, protein, fat, NaCl and pH) and volatile profiles of Chinese dry-cured hams (Mianning, Nuodeng, Saba and Sanchuan dry-cured hams) from different regions and explore the potential relationships in the above-mentioned parameters. Conventional physical and chemical analysis partially revealed differences among hams but were unable to discriminate them. Gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC–TOFMS) and electronic nose analysis provided an alternative. A total of 182 volatile compounds were detected by GC–TOFMS. With principal component analysis, the specific dominant volatiles were identified [ethanol, 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol, 1-octen-3-ol, 1-octanol, hexanal, heptanal (E)-2-octenal, benzeneacetaldehyde, 3-ethyl-benzaldehyde, butanoic acid]. Electronic nose discriminated the hams because of the higher responses to ethanol and aldehyde. The results not only provide methods to discriminate the ham with different flavor profiles, but also represented the detailed information of Chinese dry-cured hams.

Analysis of volatile compounds in Chinese dry-cured hams by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A microwave assisted extraction method coupled with solvent assisted flavor evaporation (MAE-SAFE) was used to extract the volatiles from three-selected Chinese dry-cured hams (Jinhua ham, Xuanwei ham and Rugao ham). Extracts were analyzed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC/HR-TOFMS), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), respectively. A total 165 volatile compounds were identified by GC × GC/HR-TOFMS while only 50 compounds were identified by GC–MS. Principal component analysis showed that the specific dominant volatile compounds were [S-(R*,R*)]-2,3-butanediol (26.39%) and 3-methyl-butanoic acid (7.53%) for Jinhua ham, were [R-(R*,R*)]-2,3-butanediol (16.85%) and acetic acid (8.25%) for Rugao ham and were dihydro-4-hydroxy-2(3H)-furanone (11.67%) and hexanoic acid (8.24%) for Xuanwei ham. The results not only provided a fast and mild extraction method to analyze the volatiles in non-volatile food matrices, but also represented the detailed information of volatile profiles of Chinese dry-cured hams.

A novel and simple cell-based electrochemical biosensor for evaluating the antioxidant capacity of Lactobacillus plantarum strains isolated from Chinese dry-cured ham

The analysis of antioxidants in foodstuffs has become an active area of research, leading to the recent development of numerous methods for assessing antioxidant capacity. Here we described the fabrication and validation of a novel and simple cell-based electrochemical biosensor for this purpose. The biosensor is used to assess the antioxidant capacity of cell-free extracts from Lactobacillus plantarum strains isolated from Chinese dry-cured ham. The biosensor relies on the determination of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) (the flux of H2O2 released from RAW 264.7 macrophage cells) to indirectly assess changes in intracellular oxidative stress level as influenced by L. plantarum strains. A one-step acidified manganese dioxide (a-MnO2) modified gold electrode (GE) was used to immobilize RAW 264.7 macrophage cells, which were then encapsulated in a 3D cell culture system consisting of alginate/ graphene oxide (NaAlg/GO). The biosensor exhibited a rapid and sensitive response for the detection of H2O2 released from RAW264.7 cells. The detection limit was 0.02μM with a linear response from 0.05μM to 0.85μM and the biosensor was shown to have good stability and outstanding repeatability. This technique was then used for evaluating the antioxidant ability of extracts from L. plantarum NJAU-01. According to the electrochemical investigations and assays of SEM, TEM, and ROS, these cell-free extracts effectively reduced the oxidative stress levels in RAW264.7 cells under external stimulation. Extracts from L. plantarum strains at a dose of 1010CFU/mL showed the highest antioxidant activities with a relative antioxidant capacity (RAC) rate of 88.94%. Hence, this work provides a simple and efficient electrochemical biosensing platform based on RAW264.7 cells for fast, sensitive and quantitative assessment of antioxidant capacity of L. plantarum strains. The method demonstrates its potential for rapid screening for evaluating antioxidant properties of samples.