Evaluation of ultrasound and microbubbles effect on pork meat during brining process

In this study combined effect of ultrasound-induced acoustic cavitation and microbubbles during meat brining on pork loin (Longissimus dorsi) was evaluated. Cylindrical shape (diameter 15 mm, height 80 mm) pork loin samples were cut and immersed in 200 g L^-1 NaCl brine and treated with the following brining methods for 180 min: static brining (SB), ultrasound assisted brining (US) and ultrasound combined with microbubbles in brine (USMB). Ultrasound was generated with 20 kHz frequency, 5,09 W/cm² maximum intensity and 100 W maximum power. Microbubbles in brine were produced by a gas–liquid mixing pump. Effect of ultrasound and microbbubles on NaCl content and diffusion in pork loin, mass balance, water binding capacity (WBC), protein denaturation and meat tissue microstructure were evaluated. The US and USMB brinings enhanced the NaCl diffusion into meat compared to meat brined under static conditions. The constant diffusion coefficient (D) model precisely described the NaCl diffusion kinetics during brinings. The ultrasound and microbbubles resulted in microscopic pores on the surface of myofibers. Decreasing WBC was observed for all brining methods. Myosin was not detectable in any of the brining methods. Denaturation temperature of actin showed a decreasing tendency with increasing brining time independently the brining methods.     

Underlying formation mechanisms of ultrasound-assisted brined porcine meat: The role of physicochemical modification,myofiber fragmentation and histological organization

Ultrasound treatment has been a good hurdle technique for meat curing processing, where both physical and chemical consequences can be involved towards final quality of obtained products. However, the specific correlation between ultrasound parameters and muscle fiber fragmentation and myofibrillar microstructural changes during curing deserve further evaluation. In present study, we comparatively studied the effect of ultrasound-assisted brining (UAB) and static brining (SB) on the muscle proteolysis events and microstructural/morphological variation of porcine meat as well as the physicochemical indices and histological characteristics. The results showed that UAB (20 kHz, 315 W for 1 h) could markedly enhance the muscle proteolysis with higher free-/peptide-bound alpha-amino-nitrogen (α-NH2-N) content (P < 0.05) than SB treatment and greatly improved the fragmentation of muscle fiber tissues of cured meat. Meanwhile, UAB processing favored more opening structures of myofibrillar proteins with more hydrophobic groups being exposed. The quantitative histological analysis revealed that, compared with SB treatment, UAB could significantly increase the gap between muscle fibers and the swelling of the perimysium (P < 0.01), proving an efficient curing process with better textural and water holding properties.