Interactions between hemoglobin and cod muscle constituents following treatment at extreme pH values

Acid and/or alkaline solubilization is a recent method developed to separate proteins from muscle foods with good functional properties. However, exposure of the muscle and its components to low pH values has been shown to promote lipid oxidation, limiting therefore the applications of this novel method. This research aimed primarily to study the physicochemical changes of the fish membranes brought about during acid or alkali solubilization processes. The effect on lipid oxidation and the possible role of the water soluble fraction of the muscle (press juice) as a potent antioxidant were also investigated. Model systems comprising minced cod muscle or cod microsomal suspensions were used. Results showed that acid or alkaline treatment (pH < 3.5 or pH > 10.5) of cod membranes significantly delayed lipid oxidation. Added triacylglycerols to washed cod system treated at low pH did not enhance hemoglobin-mediated lipid oxidation. Decreased precipitation of hemoglobin was observed with the alkali-treated membranes at all protein concentrations compared to the acid-treated and the untreated membranes. Finally, the addition of press juice to washed cod muscle tissue or to the membrane model system, significantly delayed hemoglobin lipid oxidation. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The results of this study can be used to improve pH-shifting technologies to avoid or decrease lipid oxidation problems. Also, the use of press-juice from cod muscle as means of protecting the muscle against lipid oxidation is suggested.     

RANCIDITY DEVELOPMENT IN A FISH MODEL SYSTEM AS AFFECTED BY PHOSPHOLIPIDS

Blood components demonstrated the ability to oxidize their own lipids. Blood plasma developed strong oxidation odor during storage apparently due to oxidation of its lipid components. Rancid odor and substantial thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) development occurred in shaken solutions of trout blood containing approximately 0.01% lipid. When whole blood was added to washed cod muscle that was taken through a lipid reduction process, rancid odor still occurred during storage. Having at least six times more membrane phospho-lipids present did not enhance the rate or extent of rancidity development during storage of washed cod containing added blood. Contrary to sensory data, TBARS formed more rapidly in the reduced lipid washed cod compared to the washed cod containing approximately 0.6% lipid. The TBARS formation was greater in the reduced lipid washed cod than in the washed cod when expressed on a lipid basis but not when expressed on a wet weight basis. The lack of rancidity and TBARS development when hemolysate was added to a myosin preparation suggested that at least trace amounts of lipid were required for rancidity to occur. Results from these experiments indicate that rancid odor and extensive lipid oxidation can occur at remarkably low levels of fish lipid.     

Hemoglobin-mediated lipid oxidation of protein isolates obtained from cod and haddock white muscle as affected by citric acid,calcium chloride and pH

Acid or alkali solubilization followed by isoelectric precipitation can be used to isolate proteins with good functional properties from muscle tissue. Both acid (pH 3.0) and alkali (pH 10.5) treatment of the muscle decreased lipid oxidation catalyzed by hemoglobin. Citric acid and calcium chloride improved the oxidative stability of both acid- and alkali-solubilized muscle protein isolates when added to the homogenized muscle before separating the membrane or directly to the isolated membranes in the assay. Citric acid may have functioned in part by lowering the pH and destroying preformed peroxides. Exposing the muscle and the hemoglobin together at pH 3 promoted lipid oxidation, while addition of citric acid/calcium chloride or press juice to washed cod prior to solubilization inhibited lipid oxidation even when the tissue and hemoglobin were acidified together.     

Effects of hemopexin on hemin and hemoglobin-mediated lipid oxidation in washed fish muscle

Hemopexin (Hx) was isolated from pig blood using hemin-agarose chromatography. The effect of addition of Hx on hemin and hemoglobin (Hb) mediated lipid oxidation in washed cod muscle was investigated during iced storage at pH 5.5. At a 1:1 ratio of Hx to hemin, lipid oxidation as measured by development of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) was not significantly inhibited (p = 0.12). This may be attributed to a lack of hemin binding by Hx due to influence of pH and hemin precipitation. At a 1:2 ratio of Hx to Hb on a heme basis, TBARS development was significantly inhibited (p < 0.01) but not prevented. Equimolar addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in place of Hx did not inhibit TBARS development (p = 0.43). Hemin release from porphyrin-containing Hx, i.e. holoHx, and ferric sperm whale myoglobin (Mb) was measured at 37 °C, pH 5.7. Hemin release rates of 0.27 h^?1 and 0.05 h^?1, were calculated for holoHx and Mb, respectively. While the hemin affinity of Hx was greater than published values for trout Hb, the relatively low value measured for Hx compared to Mb may be caused by a combination of low pH and the absence of NaCl in the assays.     

Metmyoglobin and inorganic metals as pro-oxidants in raw and cooked muscle systems

The pro-oxidant activities of metmyoglobin (Mb) and metal ions on the induction of lipid oxidation in raw and heated water-washed muscle systems from fish, turkey, chicken, pork, beef and lamb and during storage of these systems at 4°C, were investigated. Lipid oxidation was invariably faster in heated than in raw systems. In raw Mb-catalyzed systems, oxidation was slow over a 5-day period, except in fish, where significant (P < 0·05) increases in TBA values occurred; in contrast, significant (P < 0·05) increases in TBA values occurred in cooked fish, turkey, chicken and pork after 3 days of storage. Cooked beef and lamb, however, showed significant lipid oxidation only after 5 days of storage. Fe(2+) was found to be highly catalytic in cooked muscle. Cu(2+) and Co(2+) were less effective catalysts than Fe(2+); the overall pro-oxidant activity was in the order Fe(2+) > Cu(2+) > Co(2+) > Mb, and the susceptibility to lipid oxidation of the muscle systems was in the order: fish > turkey > chicken > pork > beef > lamb, probably reflecting the degree of unsaturation of the constituent triglyceride fractions.     

Factors in Various Fractions of Meat Homogenates That Affect the Oxidative Stability of Raw Chicken Breast and Beef Loin

ABSTRACT:  The fractions of meat homogenates were analyzed to find the factors that determine the susceptibility of raw chicken breast and beef loin to lipid oxidation. The fractions used in this study were meat homogenate, precipitate, and supernatant of homogenate after centrifugation, and high and low molecular weight fractions from the supernatant. Chicken breast showed greater oxidative stability than beef loin during 10-d storage ( P < 0.05). All fractions from chicken breast showed lower amounts of free ionic iron and myoglobin and higher total antioxidant capacity (TAC) than those from beef loin during storage. The TAC level of chicken breast maintained during storage. This suggested that the oxidative stability of chicken breast was ascribed to high, stable total antioxidant capacity with low level of catalysts for lipid oxidation. The water-soluble high molecular weight fraction, which contained myoglobin, was responsible for the high lipoxygenase-like activity and lipid oxidation potential (LOP) in beef loin. TAC in all fractions from beef loin decreased during storage. This suggested that high myoglobin content in beef loin caused the imbalance between pro- and antioxidant factors leading to the high susceptibility of beef loin to lipid oxidation. Myoglobin served a major source of catalysts, ferrylmyoglobin, hematin, and/or free ionic iron, for lipid oxidation.     

Inhibition of hemoglobin-mediated lipid oxidation in washed fish muscle by cranberry components

Fractions enriched in phenolic acids (Fraction 1), anthocyanins (Fraction 2), flavonols (Fractions 3 and 4) and proanthocyanidins (Fractions 5 and 6) were prepared from cranberry powder using Sephadex LH-20 chromatography. Fractions 2, 3, 4, and 5 had nearly equivalent reactivity in the total phenolate assay employed per mg dry weight of each fraction while Fractions 1 and 6 were less reactive. The ability of cranberry fractions to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals as well as their inhibitory effects on hemoglobin (Hb)-mediated lipid oxidation in washed cod muscle were assessed. Addition of cranberry fractions at a level of 74 μmol quercetin equivalents per kg of washed cod muscle extended the induction time of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) formation in the order: Fraction 1, Fraction 3, Fraction 4 > Fraction 2 > Fraction 5 > Fraction 6. This suggests that oligomeric polyphenols (e.g., proanthocyanidins) were least effective at inhibiting Hb-mediated lipid oxidation in washed cod muscle compared to the other classes of polyphenolics in cranberry. The ability of the different cranberry fractions to scavenge DPPH radicals did not reflect their relative ability to inhibit lipid oxidation in the washed cod muscle system. Quercetin was tentatively identified as a component in cranberry that was especially effective at inhibiting Hb-mediated lipid oxidation. The ability of flavonol and proanthocyanidin-enriched fractions to inhibit Hb-mediated lipid oxidation in spite of efforts to wash away the added polyphenolics prior to Hb addition indicated these classes of polyphenolics had binding affinities for insoluble components of washed cod muscle.     

Addition of tea catechins and vitamin C on sensory evaluation, colour and lipid stability during chilled storage in cooked or raw beef and chicken patties

The effects of addition of tea catechins (TC) and vitamin C (VC) on sensory evaluation, colour and lipid stability in cooked or raw beef and chicken meat patties during refrigerated storage were studied. Fresh beef striploin and chicken breast muscles were minced, following removal of external fat and connective tissue. Following mincing, beef and chicken were assigned to one of the following five treatments: control (meat treated with no antioxidant); TC200, meat plus 200 mg TC/kg muscle; TC400, meat plus 400 mg TC/kg muscle; VC200, meat plus 200 mg VC/kg muscle, VC400, meat plus 400 mg VC/kg muscle. Sodium chloride (1%) was added to all samples. Patties (125 g portions), formed from the above-treated minced meat, were oven cooked, cooled, and packaged in 30% CO₂:70% N₂. Fresh raw beef and chicken patties were packaged in 80% O₂:20% CO₂. All samples were stored for up to 7 days under fluorescent lighting at 4 °C. Sensory parameters (colour, flavour, taste, tenderness and overall acceptability) were evaluated on cooked beef and chicken patties after 1, 3 and 6 days of storage. Surface colour (Hunter L, a and b values), and lipid oxidation (2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) were measured on days 1, 3 and 6 of storage for cooked meats and on days 2 and 7 for raw beef and chicken. Tea catechins addition (200 or 400 mg/kg) to minced meat caused (P < 0.05) discolouration in cooked beef and chicken meat patties and significantly reduced (P < 0.001) lipid oxidation in cooked or raw beef patties compared to the control. Beef, either raw or cooked, was more susceptible (P < 0.01) to oxidation compared to chicken. Raw meat stored in high oxygen conditions was more susceptible to lipid oxidation than cooked meat stored in anaerobic conditions. Tea catechins treatments (TC200 and TC400) inhibited (P < 0.05) lipid oxidation in raw beef to a greater extent than vitamin C treatments (VC200 and VC400). These results indicate that tea catechins are potent natural antioxidants and exhibit greater antioxidant efficacy compared to vitamin C.     

HYDROXYL RADICAL MODIFICATION OF FISH MUSCLE PROTEINS

A xanthine oxidase-based system was used to generate hydroxyl free radicals in washed, minced cod muscle. Oxidation of protein was measured by increase in protein carbonyl content; the system used produced approximately 0.1 mol of carbonyl groups per 10⁵ g of protein. This degree of oxidation had only minor effects on the SDS-PAGE patterns of the muscle proteins. The solubility of the proteins was not affected by this amount of oxidation unless they were also subjected to a freeze/thaw cycle. With a freeze/thaw cycle, a highly significant decrease in protein solubility occurred compared to that which took place in a sample not exposed to the free radical system. Lowering the pH from 6.8 or 6.5 to 6.0 or 5.5 had a strong negative impact on protein solubility. Protein oxidation appeared in two phases in washed cod mince, an initial rapid increase followed by a second phase that may have been linked to oxidation of the small amount of lipid in the sample. Comparison of protein carbonyl formation in stored mackerel fillets or mince indicated that the range of oxidation studied in the cod model system was similar to what occurs in stored mackerel muscle postmortem.     

Effect of myoglobin from Eastern little tuna muscle on lipid oxidation of washed Asian seabass mince at different pH conditions

The effect of pH (6.0, 6.5, and 7.0) on lipid oxidation in washed Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) mince mediated by oxymyoglobin from the dark muscle of little Eastern tuna (Euthynnus affinis) during 8 d of refrigerated storage was studied. Metmyoglobin formation and discoloration increased with increasing storage time and the changes were more pronounced at lower pH. The highest lipid oxidation and off-odor development were observed when myoglobin was incorporated in washed mince at pH 6.0. At low pH, oxidation of myoglobin took place and lipid oxidation in washed mince was enhanced. This was concomitant with the increased fishy and rancid off odor in the sample containing myoglobin, especially at pH 6.0. Washed mince containing myoglobin at pH 6.0 had 1-octen-3-ol and hexanal as the major volatile compounds. Thus, postmortem pH and myoglobin played an essential role in lipid oxidation and off odor in fish muscle during the extended storage. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Myoglobin plays a role in the color of fish muscle. The change of myoglobin affects not only consumer acceptability, but also lipid oxidation as well as odor. The control of pH of muscle could be a potential means to lower the lipid oxidation mediated by myoglobin. As a consequence, the prime quality of fish with a negligible fishy odor could be maintained during postharvest handling or storage.     

Novel interactions of caffeic acid with different hemoglobins: Effects on discoloration and lipid oxidation in different washed muscles

Caffeic acid (CA) accelerated methemoglobin (Hb) formation at pH 5.8 and 25 °C. This was attributed to electron donation from CA to liganded O₂ in Hb. CA inhibited hemin dissociation from metHb. Pig Hb remained mostly as oxyHb and did not promote lipid oxidation in washed cod muscle (WCM) nor washed turkey muscle (WTM) during iced storage at pH 5.8. Conversely, perch Hb rapidly was converted to metHb and readily promoted lipid oxidation based on lipid peroxide and hexanal formation. CA strongly inhibited perch Hb-mediated lipid oxidation during storage. Once metHb formation occurred in WCM, CA appeared to maintain the heme protein as metHb during the remainder of iced storage. CA may have become bound to perch Hb based on filtration analysis. CA facilitated the transfer of perch Hb (but not pig Hb) from the aqueous phase to the insoluble components of WCM. Collectively, these results suggest that CA inhibited Hb-mediated lipid oxidation by various mechanisms not related to inhibition of metHb formation.     

Effect of caffeic acid on haemoglobin‐mediated lipid and protein oxidation in washed cod mince during ice and frozen storage

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relation between haemoglobin (Hb)‐mediated lipid and protein oxidation in muscle foods and how these two reactions can be inhibited by naturally occurring antioxidants. This study was aimed at evaluating (1) lipid oxidation and protein oxidation induced by 20 µmol L^?1 Hb during chilled and frozen storage of washed cod mince and (2) the efficiency of 10–1000 ppm (0.063–6.3 mmol L^?1) caffeic acid in preventing these reactions. RESULTS: Addition of 20 µmol L^?1 Hb increased peroxide value (PV), rancid odour, protein carbonylation, protein insolubilisation, redness loss and α‐tocopherol loss in ice‐stored washed cod mince. Since both lipid and protein oxidation developed at the same time, it was not possible to conclude which reaction initiated the other. All studied reactions were efficiently inhibited by ≥ 50 ppm caffeic acid, which could be a result of α‐tocopherol regeneration, general radical scavenging, reduced formation of oxidised Hb forms and/or conformational changes in Hb structure. During frozen storage the only clear effect of Hb was increased PV, and here caffeic acid was less efficient as an antioxidant. CONCLUSION: Hb‐induced lipid and protein oxidation occurred quickly in ice‐stored washed cod mince, and the two reactions could not be separated in time. During frozen storage, Hb caused only limited lipid oxidation. Caffeic acid (≥50 ppm) was an efficient antioxidant during ice storage. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Antioxidant effect of fractions from chicken breast and beef loin homogenates in phospholipid liposome systems

The antioxidant effects of meat fractions from chicken breast and beef loin were compared. Five meat fractions – homogenate (H), precipitate (P), supernatant (S), high-molecular-weight (HMW) and low-molecular-weight (LMW) fractions – were prepared from chicken breast or beef loin. Each of the fractions were added to a phospholipid liposome model system containing catalysts (metmyoglobin, ferrous and ferric ion) or iron chelating agents to determine the effects of each fraction on the development of lipid oxidation during incubation at 37 °C for 120 min. All fractions from chicken breast showed stronger antioxidant effects against iron-catalyzed lipid oxidation than those from beef loin. Iron chelating capacity of water-soluble LMW and water-insoluble (P) fractions from both meats were responsible for their high antioxidant capacities. High concentration of myoglobin, which served as a source of various catalysts, was partially responsible for the high susceptibility of beef loin to lipid oxidation. Storage-stable ferric ion reducing capacity (FRC) was detected in all fractions from both meats, and was a rate-limiting factor for lipid oxidation in the presence of free ionic iron. Higher antioxidant capacity and lower myoglobin content in chicken breast were primarily responsible for its higher oxidative stability than beef loin. DTPA-unchelatable compounds, such as ferrylmyoglobin and/or hematin were the major catalysts for lipid oxidation in beef loin, but free ionic iron and storage-stable FRC also played important roles during prolonged storage.     

Resonance Raman monitoring of lipid oxidation in muscle foods

A non‐invasive optical method, Resonance Raman spectroscopy was used to follow the progression of lipid oxidation in mechanically separated turkey (MST) through oxidative bleaching of β‐carotene. Endogenous or 20–50 ppm exogenously added β‐carotene in MST served as an inert marker of lipid oxidation, and the corresponding detectable Raman signals were highly correlated with the concentration of lipid oxidation products in muscle tissue based on thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Adding 100 ppm β‐carotene accelerated lipid oxidation in MST, and thus should not be used. No carotenoid Raman response was obtained for washed cod with added hemoglobin, which indicates that washed cod was devoid of any endogenous β‐carotene. Moreover, the absence of any heme protein Raman response eliminates the use of heme as an alternative biomarker to β‐carotene at the excitation wavelength employed. These studies indicate that resonance Raman detection of endogenous or exogenous β‐carotene can be used as a simple and non‐invasive method for assessing lipid oxidation status in finely comminuted muscle tissues.     

Inhibition of haemoglobin-mediated lipid oxidation in washed cod muscle and cod protein isolates by Fucus vesiculosus extract and fractions

The effects of Fucus vesiculosus extract and fractions towards haemoglobin- (Hb-) catalysed lipid oxidation in washed cod muscle system and cod protein isolates during ice storage were examined. The extract and fractions were characterised in terms of total phlorotannin content (TPC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, ferrous ion-chelating ability and reducing power. Progression of oxidation was followed by determining rancid odour, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), redness and volatile oxidation compounds by gas chromatography (GC). In both washed cod muscle and protein isolates, phlorotannin-enriched ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction showed higher inhibitory effect than crude 80% ethanol (EtOH) extract. The addition of oligomeric phlorotannin-rich subfraction (LH-2) separated by Sephadex LH-20 chromatography, completely inhibited the initiation of lipid peroxidation in both systems throughout the entire study period (8 days). Its effectiveness at 300 mg/kg level was comparable to that of 100 mg/kg propyl gallate (PG), a highly effective synthetic antioxidant in muscle foods. Although polymeric phlorotannin-rich subfraction (LH-5) had similar level of TPC and chemical antioxidant activities as oligomeric subfraction LH-2, it was far less efficient in model systems. These results suggest that other factors rather than the intrinsic reactivity toward radicals could be responsible for the inhibitory effect of phlorotannins on lipid oxidation in fish muscle. This study highlights the great potential of oligomeric phlorotannins as novel natural antioxidants in fish and fish products.     

Anti-oxidant activity of added tea catechins on lipid oxidation of raw minced red meat, poultry and fish muscle

The comparative anti-oxidative effects of added tea catechins (TC) and α-tocopherol to raw minced red meat (beef and pork), poultry (chicken, duck and ostrich) and fish (whiting and mackerel) muscle on susceptibility to lipid oxidation were investigated during 10 days of refrigerated (4 °C) display. Fresh meats, poultry and fish, purchased from a local market, were trimmed to remove bones, skin and surface fat and minced through a 4 mm plate. The minced muscle of each species was treated with either the addition of 300 mg TC kg^–1 minced muscle (TC300) or 300 mg α-tocopherol kg^–1 minced muscle (VE300). Minced muscle without any additives served as control (C). Oxidative stability (TBARS) was measured at 3-day intervals. Total lipids, fatty acid composition, total iron and haem iron from minced muscle for each species were also analysed. The susceptibility of untreated minced muscle to lipid oxidation was in the decreasing order: mackerel > beef > duck > ostrich > pork ≥ chicken > whiting. This may be because of the different content of total fat, iron and fatty acid composition between species. The TC300 significantly ( P  < 0.05) reduced lipid oxidation compared with controls for all seven species as shown by lower TBARS values. The anti-oxidant potential of TC was two to fourfold greater than that of α-tocopherol at the same concentration and this potential was species dependent. The VE300 showed limited capacity in inhibiting lipid oxidation for pork, chicken, duck and whiting. The results obtained show that TCs are powerful natural antioxidants when used in minced muscle food.     

八角茴香提取物对牛肉丸脂肪氧化和品质特性的影响

为研究八角茴香提取物对牛肉丸脂肪氧化和品质特性的影响,选择不同浓度的八角茴香提取物(0.01%、0.03%和0.05%)加入到牛肉丸中,测定牛肉丸在4 ℃冷藏过程中的pH、颜色(a*、b*、L*)、硫代巴比妥酸值(TBARS)、亚硝酸盐残留量和出品率,并对其进行感官评价。结果表明:与空白对照组相比,添加0.05%八角茴香提取物在整个冷藏过程中,显著降低了牛肉丸的pH、硫代巴比妥酸值和亚硝酸盐残留量(p<0.05)。八角茴香提取物在添加量为0.03%时,与空白对照组相比显著提高了冷藏3 d的红度值(p<0.05),而添加0.01%时,显著提高了冷藏5 d后的红度值(p<0.05)。八角茴香提取物改善了牛肉丸的滋气味、组织状态、酸败味及总体接受程度。综上,八角茴香提取物能够有效抑制冷藏牛肉丸脂肪的氧化,并能够改善其品质特性,具有较高的应用价值。     

Lipid stability and meat colour of beef from pasture- and grain-fed cattle with or without vitamin E supplement

Meat from pasture-fed cattle can have high contents of α-tocopherol and other anti-oxidants originating from naturally occurring compounds present in grasses. However, meat from pasture-fed cattle may have an increased demand for endogenous anti-oxidants because of its high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which in turn, may affect its colour and lipid stability. In the work described, we evaluated the effects of pasture-feeding alone and with vitamin E supplementation and compared the findings with those obtained for grain-fed cattle (predominantly sorghum) with and without supplementation. Within each nutritional background, vitamin E supplementation did not alter meat colour or colour stability of fresh or 47-day aged muscle during 7-day aerobic storage. However, both control and supplemented grain-fed product had better meat colour (more redness) compared with meat from grass-fed cattle. These differences in redness between pasture- and grain-fed fresh beef were not apparent after ageing. The treatments did not affect the lipid stability of fresh meat during aerobic storage; however, supplementation reduced (P<0.01) lipid oxidation in grain-fed aged beef compared with pasture-fed aged beef, despite both having similar α-tocopherol contents. Pasture-fed beef had more linolenic acid, less linoleic acid and, overall, was more polyunsaturated than grain-fed beef (P<0.05). In summary, vitamin E supplementation of pasture-fed cattle did not alter muscle tocopherol contents but pasture-fed beef (both control and supplemented) was more susceptible to lipid oxidation following ageing than vitamin E supplemented grain-fed beef.     

Effects of high pressure/thermal treatment on lipid oxidation in beef and chicken muscle

Lipid oxidation was studied in beef and chicken muscle after high pressure treatment (0.1–800 MPa) at different temperatures (20–70 °C) for 20 min, prior to storage at 4 °C for 7 days. Pressure treatment of beef samples at room temperature led to increases in TBARS values after 7 days storage at 4 °C; however, the increases were more marked after treatment at pressures ?400 MPa (at least fivefold) than after treatment at lower pressures (less than threefold). Similar results were found in those samples treated at 40 °C, but at 60 °C and 70 °C pressure had little additional effect on the oxidative stability of the muscle. Pressure treatments of 600 MPa and 800 MPa, at all temperatures, induced increased rates of lipid oxidation in chicken muscle, but, in general, chicken muscle was more stable than beef to pressure, and the catalytic effect of pressure was still seen at the higher temperatures of 50 °C, 60 °C and 70 °C. The addition of 1% Na₂EDTA decreased TBARS values of the beef muscle during storage and inhibited the increased rates of lipid oxidation induced by pressure. The inhibition by vitamin E (0.05% w/w) and BHT (0.02% w/w), either alone or in combination, were less marked than seen with Na₂EDTA, suggesting that transition metal ions released from insoluble complexes are of major importance in catalysing lipid oxidation in pressure-treated muscle foods.     

COPPER INDUCED LIPID OXIDATION DURING SALTING OF COD (GADUS MORHUA L.)

Yellow/brown discoloration of the muscle surface was investigated in downgraded heavily salted cod fillets from a processing plant. The results showed that discolored areas were relatively evenly distributed on the muscle surface and that lipid oxidation correlated with the copper and not the iron content, in the muscle. A model system for studying lipid oxidation and yellow discoloration of salted cod muscle was established and used for investigating the effect of including transition metals in the process. The model system confirms that copper is particularly pro-oxidative. Of the redox states, the reduced form of copper was most potent. It appears that copper concentrates in the muscle during the brining. The results also indicate that copper induced lipid oxidation was increased by low pH of the fish muscle postmortem. The model system seems well suited for detailed studies of the salting process and may be useful for developing methods which can inhibit lipid oxidation in salted products.