Contribution of a selected fungal population to proteolysis on dry-cured ham

• Published in: International journal of food microbiology Vol. 94; no. 1; pp. 55 - 66
• Main Authors: Martı́n, Alberto, Córdoba, Juan J, Núñez, Félix, Benito, Marı́a J, Asensio, Miguel A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-07-2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: actin; Amino acids; Amino Acids - analysis; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Chromatography, Liquid - methods; cured meats; Debaryomyces hansenii; dried meat; Fermentation; Food Handling - methods; Food industries; Food Microbiology; free amino acids; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; ham; ionic strength; low ionic strength-soluble protein fraction; meat aging; Meat and meat product industries; Meat products; Meat Products - microbiology; microbial activity; myofibrillar protein hydrolysis; myosin; Penicillium chrysogenum; Penicillium chrysogenum - metabolism; protein content; Proteolysis; Saccharomycetales - metabolism; starter cultures; Swine; tropomyosins; Volatilization; Amino acids; Proteolysis; Meat products; Penicillium chrysogenum; Fungi; Ham; Pork product; Meat product; Fungi Imperfecti; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0168-1605; 1879-3460
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2003.12.018

The proteolytic changes taking place in dry-cured hams lead to increases in free amino acids. Such free amino acids not only contribute to flavour, but also serve as precursors of volatile compounds. Several months of ripening time are required to allow the particular flavour to develop. The fungal population allowed to grow on the surface of some types of dry-cured could play a key role on proteolysis, as it has been shown for dry-cured sausages. The purpose of this work was to study the possible contribution of fungi to proteolysis in dry-cured ham. For this, a strain each of non-toxigenic
Penicillium chrysogenum (Pg222) and
Debaryomyces hansenii (Dh345), selected for their proteolytic activity on myofibrillar proteins, were inoculated as starter cultures. Changes in the high ionic strength-soluble proteins of an external muscle (
adductor) revealed in only 6 months higher proteolysis in the inoculated hams when compared to non-inoculated control hams. Proteolytic strains among the wild fungal population on non-inoculated control hams prevented from obtaining similar differences at the end of processing. However, inoculation with Pg222 and Dh345 led to higher levels for most free amino acids at the external muscle in fully dry-cured hams. In addition, the concentration for some of the more polar free amino acids (i.e. Asp, Glu, Ser and Gln) in inoculated hams was higher at external than at internal (
biceps femoris) muscles. These promising results deserve further studies to know the impact of a selected fungal population on the volatile compounds and sensory properties of dry-cured ham.