Meat storage in high oxygen atmosphere has been
reported to induce protein oxidation reactions decreasing meat
quality. The incorporation of antioxidants has been proposed
to reduce the extent of these reactions. In this study, the ability
of red and white skin wine pomaces as well as sulfites to
inhibit protein oxidation were tested in beef patties stored for
up to 15 days at 4 °C in a high oxygen atmosphere (70 % O2
and 30 % CO2). SO2 (300 ppm) effectively protected against
protein oxidation measured as radical formation by electron
spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, as thiol loss by the DTNB
assay and as myosin heavy chain (MHC) disulfide crosslinking
by SDS-PAGE. Pomace from red wine production
with a total phenol of 9.9 mg gallic acid equivalent/g protected
against protein radical formation and against MHC crosslinking,
but not against thiol loss by addition of 2.0 % (w/w)
to the beef patties. Pomace from white wine production with a
total phenol of 4.0 mg gallic acid equivalent/g only protected
against MHC cross-linking. For both types of wine pomace,
protein modifications not seen for sulfite addition were observed
and were proposed to involve covalent phenol addition
to proteins. Red wine pomace may be an alternative to sulfite
as a meat additive for protection of beef patties against protein
oxidation.
