Zhang Yuanhong, Zeng Defeng, Cai Shihong, Liu Qiaoyu, Sun Weizheng, Hu Xin, Peng Hui, Dong Hao, Zeng Xiaofang
College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Lingnan Specialty Food Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Green Processing and Intelligent Manufacturing of Lingnan Specialty Food, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China.
College of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Lingnan Specialty Food Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Green Processing and Intelligent Manufacturing of Lingnan Specialty Food, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China; Department of Food Engineering, Guangdong Maoming Agriculture & Forestry Technical College, Maoming 525000, China.
Food Chem. 2025 Nov 30;493(Pt 3):145921. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145921. Epub 2025 Aug 11.
Sodium chloride (NaCl) has an indispensable effect on Cantonese sausage flavor, while its mechanism is far from clear. This study examined how NaCl affects the flavor of Cantonese sausage by altering myofibrillar protein (MP) structure and its binding to key volatile compounds. The results showed that NaCl concentration most affected the esters in Cantonese sausage. At 3.5 %, myosin degradation shifted α-helix to β-sheets and β-turns. Ionic bonding, hydrophobic interactions and surface hydrophobicity peaked due to the solubilization of proteins as well as the exposure of hydrophobic groups. MP adsorption capacity showed that 3.5 % NaCl concentration adsorbed ethyl hexanoate, octanol, octanal, and 2-nonanone most strongly. The adsorption driving force originates from the exposure of hydrophobic sites, which reduces surface tension and subsequently promotes the adsorption of flavor compounds. This study provides theoretical and data support for optimizing processing conditions and improving the flavor of Cantonese sausages.
