Analysis of raw hams using SELDI-TOF-MS to predict the final quality of dry-cured hams

• Published in: Meat science 2013-02, Vol.93 (2), p.233-239
• Main Authors: Marcos, B., Gou, P., Serra, X., Guàrdia, M.D., Zhen, Z.Y., Hortós, M., Mach, N., te Pas, M.F.W., Keuning, E., Kruijt, L., Font i Furnols, M., Arnau, J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Breeding; Color; Consumer Behavior; defective texture; Desiccation; desorption; Dry-cured ham; Duroc; Fats - analysis; Food Handling; Food industries; Food Quality; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; ham; intramuscular fat; ionization; landraces; Large White; lasers; Life Sciences; Male; marbling; mass spectrometry; Meat and meat product industries; Meat Products - analysis; meat quality; Muscle, Skeletal; muscles; ph; Protein markers; proteins; Proteins - analysis; proteome analysis; Pure breeds; salt content; Salts - analysis; SELDI-TOF-MS; sensory characteristics; sensory properties; sex; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Swine; texture; traits; water activity
• ISSN: 0309-1740; 1873-4138
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2012.08.026

The relationship between protein profiles of Gluteus medius (GM) muscles of raw hams obtained from 4 pure breed pigs (Duroc, Large White, Landrace, and Piétrain) with the final quality of the Semimembranosus and Biceps femoris muscles of dry-cured hams was investigated. As expected, Duroc hams showed higher levels of marbling and intramuscular fat content than the other breeds. Piétrain hams were the leanest and most conformed, and presented the lowest salt content in dry-cured hams. Even if differences in the quality traits (colour, water activity, texture, composition, intramuscular fat, and marbling) of dry-cured hams were observed among the studied breeds, only small differences in the sensory attributes were detected. Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) was used to obtain the soluble protein profiles of GM muscles. Some associations between protein peaks obtained with SELDI-TOF-MS and quality traits, mainly colour (b*) and texture (F0, Y2, Y90) were observed. Candidate protein markers for the quality of processed dry-cured hams were identified. ► Evaluation of potential protein biomarkers to predict the quality of dry-cured ham ► Duroc hams had more intramuscular fat, Piétrain hams showed less salt content. ► Only some small differences were detected in the sensory analysis among breeds. ► Candidate protein biomarkers for the quality of dry-cured hams were identified. ► Further validation of these protein biomarkers for colour and texture is needed.