Biophysical basis of non-nitrite technology for ecology-fine meat production

 

N.L. Vekshin

 

Institute of Cell Biophysics of Russian Academy Sci.,  Pushchino, Moscow region, 142290

 

High-effective biophysical methods, devoted to decrease of molecular damages during destruction of muscle cells, and development of non-nitrite technology for qualitative meat products, were applied. The processes of denaturation and aggregation of muscle proteins, enzymes and nucleic acids, activation of enzymes, phospholipases, and free-radical reactions were studied. It was done by photometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, colorimetry, microscopy and other methods with measurements on per-oxidation of lipids, fragmentation of nuclear DNA, denaturation of dehydrogenases and other enzymes in isolated organelles and membranes of muscle cells. Processes of denaturation of muscle proteins, oxidation of fats and damage of cells of muscle tissue were studied, depending on freezing and de-freezing, temperatures (from -18 to + 50 C), time of storage (from few minutes up to one month), concentrations of intracellular oxygen, salts, kind of buffer and pH. It was shown, that replacing of phosphate buffer to hydro-carbonate buffer at neutral pH in the presence of sodium chloride allows pause the processes of spoilage of homogenate during first hours and even days of its storage. Conservative action of substrates of mitochondrial respiratory chain (citric circle acids and NADH) in muscle homogenate was studied in details. The mechanism of action of natural anti-oxidants for prevention of peroxidation in destroyed cells and isolated organelles was known studied also. It was shown, that the most active stimulator of mitochondrial respiration, inhibiting the formation of lipid peroxides, is succinate, and the most harmful agents, blocking the respiration and strongly activating the lipid peroxidation, are oxalic-acetic acid, glutamate and calcium salts. The observed harmful influence of glutamate allows doubt in true application of glutamate in food industry. All tacking observations allow improve the treatment of meat and force-meat, and will elongate the time of good storage and will give possibility to predict its time. Relating to well-known common technologies and control methods, the suggested basis of new technology has important peculiarities and advantages: a) rejection of harmful nitrites; b) absence of accumulation of harmful peroxides; c) prevention of bacterial invasion; d) essential prolongation of time storage; e) improvement of taste quality; f) medico-biological security; g) small expenses for change in technology. Also, biophysical methods to control the quality of meat products were developed and improved. On the basis of the carried out investigations it was stated, that the preservation of force-meat at long storage can be easy checked by: colorimetry for lipid peroxides, fluorimetry for the protein denaturation, photometry and pH-metry for the activity of mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase, spectrophotometry is the Soret band of cytochromes and myoglobin, luminescence test for nuclear DNA by microscopy.