The research on the synergistic improvement of water retention capacity and eating quality of marinated pork meat by the combination of basic arginine and acidic aspartic acid.

Abstract

Effects of varying levels of arginine (Arg) and aspartic acid (Asp) on the water-holding capacity (WHC) and eating quality of marinated pork meat were investigated. The addition of Arg significantly enhanced the WHC of marinated pork meat (P < 0.05) due to the increased pH levels of the meat. Besides, when the pH values of the meat were consistent, the combined use of Arg and Asp significantly decreased the cooking loss (CL) from 9.0 % to 6.4 % (P < 0.05) and increased the hardness and springiness (P < 0.05). These outcomes could be attributed to the combined effects of Arg and Asp, which promoted the dissociation of actomyosin and enhanced the antioxidant capacity of proteins, leading to a significant increase in the ordered structure. Moreover, Asp affected the extensibility of the perimysium, improving the tightness between fiber bundles. These modifications in muscle structures improved the WHC and texture of the meat.