Impact of Plant and Microbial Proteases Treatment on Quality Characteristics of Beef Longissimus Thoracis and Lumborum

This study was aimed to determine the effects of accelerated aging process provided by enzyme treatments (0.01 g/kg, 0.02 g/kg and 0.05 g/kg concentrations of papain, bromelain and fungal protease enzymes) on the quality characteristics of <i>longissimus thoracis</i> (LT) and <i>longissimus lumborum</i> (LL) muscles. For this purpose, LT and LL muscles, obtained from a commercial plant at 24 h post-mortem, were subjected to enzyme treatments. Treated samples were vacuum packed and kept at 2±1°C for physico-chemical, microbiological, instrumental and sensorial analyses on days 1, 2, and 5 of the aging process. Papain, bromelain and fungal protease treatments decreased the water activity, moisture and water holding capacity compared to untreated samples, while the bacterial load of enzyme-treated LT and LL samples was lower than that of untreated ones. Moreover, a significant difference was observed in shear force values between enzyme-treated and untreated samples during aging period (p<0.001) with a remarkable decrease by increasing concentration of enzyme that resulted in accelerated aging process. Papain treatment provided the greatest tenderness, while low concentrations (0.01 and 0.02 g/kg) of bromelain enhanced the palatability of the product. Considering muscle type, LT samples were more appreciated in terms of textural and sensorial properties compared to the LL samples. The results revealed that treatment with plant and microbial proteases improved the quality parameters of beef meat depending on the enzyme concentration to providing palatable meat in a reduced aging period.