Effect of ultrasound combined with highland barley dietary fiber on gel properties of reduced‐salt chicken breast myofibrillar protein

This study aimed to investigate the effect of ultrasound combined with highland barley dietary fiber (HBDF) on the quality of reduced-salt chicken breast myofibrillar protein (MP) gel. The molecular forces maintaining gel structure, the gelling formation process, and gel microstructure of different groups, two control groups (2% sodium chloride [NaCl] group, 1% NaCl group), and four treatment groups (0.3% HBDF+U5, 0.3% HBDF+U10, 0.5% HBDF+U5, and 0.5% HBDF+U10) were examined. Results indicated significant improvements (p < 0.05) in gel properties such as water-holding capacity, textural characteristics, and color of the MP gel of the four treatment groups compared to Control 2 (1% NaCl) group. Furthermore, the second structural alterations were characterized by increase β-sheet, β-turn, and random coil structure contents in treatment groups, especially in 0.3% HBDF+U5 and 0.5% HBDF+U5 groups; in addition, the exposure of more hydrophobic groups and the formation of disulfide bonds and hydrogen bonds were promoted in treatment groups, thus enhancing protein aggregation and gel quality. Finally, compared to Control 2 (1% NaCl) group, more compact and uniform gel network structures and pores inside the composite gels were observed in treatment groups. In conclusion, the findings demonstrated that the application of ultrasound in combination with HBDF improved the gelling characteristics of reduced-salt chicken breast MP gel, especially 0.3% HBDF+U5 and 0.5% HBDF+U5 groups.