Handbook of Meat Processing

(Greg DeLong) #1
Functional Meat Products 427

Bioactive Compounds in Meat

Utilizing or emphasizing physiological activ-
ities originating from meat is a promising
approach for developing functional meat
products. Attractive meat - based bioactive
substances have been studied for their
physiological properties. Such substances
include conjugated linoleic acid (CLA),
histidyl dipeptides (carnosine and anserine),
L - carnitine, glutathione, taurine, coenzyme
Q10, and creatine. These bioactive com-
pounds in meat have recently been reviewed
by Arihara and Ohata (2008).
Since studies have shown that feeding
conditions of animals affect the contents of
CLA and l - carnitine in meat (Krajcovicova -
Kudlackova et al. 2000 ; Mir et al. 2004 ),
healthier meat and meat products could be
created through modifi cation of animal feed.
As representative meat - based bioactive com-
pounds, CLA and histidyl dipeptides are
described here.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid

Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) have
attracted considerable attention as nutraceuti-
cal compounds found in foods. CLAs were
initially found in cooked ground beef by
Pariza et al. (1983). Later, they were found
in the meat and milk of ruminants (Gnadig et
al. 2000 ; Watkins and Yong 2001 ; Nagao and
Yanagita 2005 ). CLA is most abundant in the
fat of ruminant animals, such as cattle and
sheep, since CLA is converted from linoleic
acid by the isomerase of rumen bacteria.
CLA produced in the rumen is transported to
muscles and mammary tissue of animals. For
example, beef fat contains 3.1 to 8.5 mg CLA
per g of fat (Hasler 1988 ).
CLA is composed of a group of positional
and geometric isomers of octadecadienoic
acid. The most common CLA isomer found
in beef is octadeca - c 9, t 11 - dienoic acid (Fig.
24.3 , top). Much attention has been paid to

oping functional meat products. As described
later, through modifi cation of animal feed,
the composition (e.g., conjugated linoleic
acid) of animal products can be improved.
Also, the functional characteristics of meat
products can be changed by introducing food
ingredients considered to be benefi cial for
health or by eliminating components that are
considered harmful. Possible approaches for
functional modifi cation in meat products
suggested by Fern á ndez - Gin é s et al. (2005) ,
Jim é nez - Colmenero et al. (2006) , and
Jim é nez - Colmenero (2007a) are summarized
in Table 24.3.


Table 24.2. Diverse possible strategies for
developing healthier meat and meat products



  1. Modifi cation of Carcass Composition

  2. Manipulation of Meat Raw Materials

  3. Reformulation of Meat Products
    Reduction of contents (e.g., fat)
    Modifi cation of components (e.g., fatty acid)
    Addition of functional ingredients


Table 24.3. Possible approaches for functional
modifi cation in meat products


Control and Reduction
Sodium chloride
Fat
Cholesterol
Allergens (vegetable & egg proteins)
Biogenic amines
Modifi cation
Fatty acid (selection of breeds)
n - 6 : n - 3 PUFA (linseed feed)
Addition
Vegetable oils
Fish oils
Conjugated linoleic acid
Plant - based proteins (soy protein)
Natural extracts
Vitamins C & E
Minerals (Ca,Se,Fe,Mg,Mn)
Plant sterols
Phytate
Probiotic lactic acid bacteria
Dietary fi ber
Oligosaccharides
l - carnitine
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