Abstract:
The effects of different concentrations of tannic acid (TA) on the gelation and emulsifying properties of pork myofibrillar proteins (MPs) under oxidative conditions were investigated in this study. A Fenton oxidation system was established (comprising 30 μmol/L FeCl
3, 100 μmol/L ascorbic acid, and 5 mmol/L H
2O
2) to investigate the effects of TA on the functional properties of MPs. Different concentrations of TA (0, 0.01, 0.20, 0.40 mg/g protein) were added, with butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) serving as the positive control. The subsequent changes in gelation and emulsification properties were analyzed. The results indicated that the properties of the oxidized gel were reduced to some extent. With increasing tannic acid concentration, the whiteness of the gel decreased, exhibiting a negative impact on myofibrillar proteins (MPs). Compared with the oxidized control group, the addition of 0.20 mg/g tannic acid significantly increased the resilience (
P<0.05) and significantly decreased the cooking loss (
P<0.05). When 0.40 mg/g tannic acid was added, the gel elasticity reached its maximum, showing a significant increase compared with the oxidation group (Ox) (
P<0.05). Dynamic rheological analysis revealed that the addition of tannic acid contributed to an enhancement in both storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G"), and the resulting MPs exhibited more elastic characteristics. The addition of 0.40 mg/g tannic acid significantly improved emulsifying activity and emulsion stability, effectively alleviated emulsion stratification, and reduced emulsion particle size, whereas butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) at the same concentration showed no significant improvement. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance further indicated that an appropriate concentration of tannic acid could shorten the relaxation time and optimize moisture distribution, although the effect was not pronounced. In conclusion, the gel network structure and emulsion stability of MPs under oxidative conditions can be effectively improved by the addition of an appropriate concentration (0.20~0.40 mg/g) of tannic acid.