Effect of combined treatment of curcumin and sodium bicarbonate on quality characteristics of refrigerated beef meatballs
Yu Chen, Enhui Zha, Zhen Zhang, Jing Zhang, Ruoying Wang, Junyao Li, Jing Sun
Abstract
In this study, we assessed the impact of curcumin (CC), sodium bicarbonate (SB), and their combination on the quality characteristics of refrigerated beef meatballs, aiming to ascertain the composite preservation effects of the combined use of CC and SB in meat products. Our findings revealed that, compared to the control group, CC, SB, and their combined treatment significantly reduced the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, total sulfhydryl losses, total survival counts, and total volatile basal nitrogen values of beef meatballs during storage (P < 0.05). Additionally, these treatments effectively delayed the colour and texture degradation of the meatballs and protected the structure of the meatball myofibrillar proteins. SB exhibited a significant reduction in cooking loss (P < 0.05) by enhancing the pH of beef meatballs and inducing the conversion of α-helix to β-sheet structure in myofibrillar proteins. Furthermore, beef meatballs treated with CC, SB, and their combination displayed dense microstructure and superior sensory quality through storage. The combined treatment of CC and SB yielded the most considerable improvement in the quality of refrigerated beef meatballs. Therefore, CC and SB can be used in combination in meat products to mitigate quality deterioration during storage.