401. Effect of extended aging of parma dry-cured ham on the content of oligopeptides and free amino acids.
- Author
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Sforza S, Galaverna G, Schivazappa C, Marchelli R, Dossena A, and Virgili R
- Subjects
- Animals, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Food Preservation methods, Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization, Swine, Taste, Time Factors, Amino Acids analysis, Food Handling methods, Meat analysis, Oligopeptides analysis
- Abstract
The effect of the dry-curing processing time on the release of oligopeptides and amino acids was evaluated with 158 Parma hams subdivided into three groups: (1) traditional processing (450 days); (2) extended processing (570 days); and (3) extended aging (690 days). Most of the oligopeptides and free amino acids detected increased up to the last deadline (690 days); a sharp increase of peptides below 400 Da was the main change in most aged hams. In particular, gamma-glutamyl dipeptides showed a remarkable increase during ham extended aging, acting like permanent taste-active compounds, being unsuitable for further enzymatic breakdown. The pH of fresh hams showed negative relationships (P < 0.001) with most peptides. With regard to free amino acids, the pattern was modified by different processing lengths, together with their taste categories, so that the amino acids having monosodium glutamate-like and bitter tastes were enhanced in more aged hams.
- Published
- 2006
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