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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Stefan Dragoev

Department of Meat and Fish Technology, University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Interests: antioxidants; lipid peroxidation; polyunsaturated fatty acids; antioxidant activity; meat products; poultry; fish; meat color

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The initiation, development and distribution of lipid, protein and pigment oxidation processes during production, processing, packaging, storage and sale significantly affect the quality of muscle foods. In recent years, topics related to the safety of such oxidized foods and their impact on human health have been increasingly discussed.

Initiation of lipid peroxidation in cell membrane phospholipids from muscle tissue is also characteristic of living organisms. After death, under the influence of various factors during technological processing, they are provoked to a greater extent. Once initiated, phospholipid oxidation cannot be prevented because it develops and spreads exponentially. Oxidized lipid primary and secondary products (such as lipid hydroperoxide radicals, conjugated lipid derivatives, and malondialdehyde, as well as other reactive free radicals such as oxygen species) contribute to the oxidation of muscle protein structures and the site pigment, myoglobin.

The aim of this Special Issue of Foods is to present the latest research on the oxidation of lipids and proteins from meat and fish, highlighting the impact of these biochemical transformations and related processes on food quality and safety on one hand, and on human health on the other. This Special Issue welcomes cogent original research articles and reviews on meat and fish quality exploring sensory analysis, color characteristics, texture, chemical and biochemical analyses, as well as the presence of human toxic substances, the microbiological status of oxidated muscle foods and their impact on human health. Consumer research and quality evaluation of muscle foods will also covered be in the Special Issue. Articles should emphasize on both the prevention of oxidative processes in life and the inhibition of oxidative reactions in meat raw materials and in processed meat and fish products. The elucidation of the mechanisms of initiation, development, distribution and termination of the oxidative processes, the influence of the oxidized derivatives of lipids and proteins on diseases such as atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, myocardial infarct, brain strokes, etc., and evidence on toxicity of oxidized derivatives in muscle foods will be incorporated in this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Stefan Dragoev
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

lipid oxidation meat and fish products
protein oxidation meat and fish products
myoglobin oxidation and impact on meat colour
mechanisms of lipid and protein oxidation in meat and fish
factors affecting development of lipid oxidation
free radicals, metal ions, pro-oxidative enzymes, natural antioxidants
hydroperoxides, MDA (malondialdehyde) TBARS analysis
sensory analysis connected with “worm-over flavour” (WOF) and rancidity of meat and fish
sensory properties (appearance, odour, taste, flavour and texture)
social and health aspects of lipid and protein oxidation in meat/fish
consumer behaviour (including willingness-to-pay and purchase intentions of healthy meat/fish products)

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1481 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Muscle Hypertrophy Is Linked to Changes in the Oxidative and Proteolytic Systems during Early Tenderization of the Spanish Breed “Asturiana de los Valles”

by Marina García-Macia, Verónica Sierra, Adrián Santos-Ledo, Beatriz de Luxán-Delgado, Yaiza Potes-Ochoa, Susana Rodríguez-González, Mamen Oliván and Ana Coto-Montes

Foods 2024, 13(3), 443; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13030443 - 30 Jan 2024

Viewed by 969

Abstract

For fresh meat consumers, eating satisfaction is of utmost importance and tenderness is one of the most important characteristics in this regard. Our study examined beef of different animal biotypes of the autochthonous breed “Asturiana de los Valles” (AV) to determine if early postmortem oxidative and proteolytic processes may influence the final tenderness of the product. This meat-specialized breed shows different biotypes depending on the frequency of a myostatin mutation “mh” that induces double-muscling or muscular hypertrophy (mh/mh, mh/+, +/+). Samples from the longissimus dorsi muscles of yearling bulls were analyzed during the first 24 h postmortem. Changes in the redox balance of muscle cells were significant in the first hours after slaughter; total antioxidant activity was higher in the mh/mh biotype and it followed the shortening of the sarcomeres, a key parameter in understanding meat tenderness. The two proteolytic systems studied (proteasome and lysosome) followed distinct patterns. Proteasome activity was higher in the (mh/+) biotype, which correlated with higher protein damage. Lysosome proteolysis was increased in the more tender biotypes (mh genotypes). Autophagic activation showed significant differences between the biotypes, with (mh/mh) showing more intense basal autophagy at the beginning of the postmortem period that decreased gradually (p < 0.001), while in the normal biotype (+/+), it was slightly delayed and then increased progressively (p < 0.001). These results suggest that this type of catalytic process and antioxidant activity could contribute to the earlier disintegration of the myofibers, particularly in the mh/mh biotypes, and influence the conversion of muscle into meat. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lipid and Protein Oxidation in Meat: Quality, Safety and Human Health)

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Review

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60 pages, 5569 KiB

Open AccessReview

Lipid Peroxidation in Muscle Foods: Impact on Quality, Safety and Human Health

by Stefan G. Dragoev

Foods 2024, 13(5), 797; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13050797 - 04 Mar 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1178

Abstract

The issue of lipid changes in muscle foods under the action of atmospheric oxygen has captured the attention of researchers for over a century. Lipid oxidative processes initiate during the slaughtering of animals and persist throughout subsequent technological processing and storage of the finished product. The oxidation of lipids in muscle foods is a phenomenon extensively deliberated in the scientific community, acknowledged as one of the pivotal factors affecting their quality, safety, and human health. This review delves into the nature of lipid oxidation in muscle foods, highlighting mechanisms of free radical initiation and the propagation of oxidative processes. Special attention is given to the natural antioxidant protective system and dietary factors influencing the stability of muscle lipids. The review traces mechanisms inhibiting oxidative processes, exploring how changes in lipid oxidative substrates, prooxidant activity, and the antioxidant protective system play a role. A critical review of the oxidative stability and safety of meat products is provided. The impact of oxidative processes on the quality of muscle foods, including flavour, aroma, taste, colour, and texture, is scrutinised. Additionally, the review monitors the effect of oxidised muscle foods on human health, particularly in relation to the autooxidation of cholesterol. Associations with coronary cardiovascular disease, brain stroke, and carcinogenesis linked to oxidative stress, and various infections are discussed. Further studies are also needed to formulate appropriate technological solutions to reduce the risk of chemical hazards caused by the initiation and development of lipid peroxidation processes in muscle foods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lipid and Protein Oxidation in Meat: Quality, Safety and Human Health)

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