LAUSR

BACKGROUND The reduction of protein oxidation is critical to maintaining reconstituted meat product quality. In this study, the dose-dependent effects of lentinan (LNT) on gelling properties and chemical changes of oxidatively stressed goose myofibrillar protein were investigated. RESULTS The myofibrillar protein (MP) with 200 μmol/g protein LNT addition increased the gel strength by 87.90 ± 9.26% compared to the LNT-free myofibrillar protein after oxidation. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the gel network containing LNT was compact, with small pores and uniform distribution. The absolute value of Zeta potential significantly reduced following the oxidation of LNT with 200 μmol/g protein at 4°C for 12 h compared to that without LNT, according to the laser particle size analyzer. Furthermore, the incorporation of LNT increased protein solubility and -SH content, inhibited carbonyl formation, enhanced α-helix content and tryptophan intrinsic fluorescence intensity, and reduced exposure of hydrophobic groups as well as protein aggregation. CONCLUSION The results indicated that adding LNT to myofibrillar protein could improve gel which is related to its protective effect on conformational changes in the oxidation system. Therefore, LNT is recommended for oxidatively stressed goose meat processing to enhance the MP gelling potential. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.