Combination of Flos Sophorae and chili pepper as a nitrite alternative improves the antioxidant, microbial communities and quality traits in Chinese sausages.

The main issue remains finding a nitrite alternative able to provide its multiple functions. Flos Sophorae exerts antioxidant and prebiotic actions, chili pepper has potent coloring capacity, thus this study investigated whether combination of Flos Sophorae and chili pepper could address the multiple activities of nitrite in Chinese sausages. Dry-fermented sausages were prepared: control and four treatments added with 150 mg/kg sodium nitrite (Nit), 0.2% Flos Sophorae (FS), 1% chili pepper (CP), and combination of 0.2% Flos Sophorae and 1% chili pepper (FS + CP). Results indicated that FS, CP and FS + CP had higher moisture, antioxidant activity and numbers of beneficial Staphylococcus and yeasts Candida, and lower numbers of Escherichia coli and harmful fungi, while FS had lower redness and harder texture than control. Their combination inhibited the declines of capsanthin and antioxidant capacity with ripening time, further improved microbiological communities compared with CP, and resulted in higher redness, similar color score and bacterial community, less lipid oxidation and softer texture compared with Nit. These results suggested that Flos Sophorae in combination with chili pepper could replace the nitrite's contribution to red curing color and microbiological communities, and effectively hinder lipid oxidation in Chinese sausages.