Investigating the effects of protein thermal denaturation on the water-holding capacity of beef: insights from structural dynamics

Abstract Investigating the effects of protein thermal denaturation on beef’s water-holding capacity (WHC), this study employed differential scanning calorimetry and Raman spectroscopy. It was found that proteins in beef denatured in a sequence starting with the myosin head, followed by the myosin tail, sarcoplasmic proteins, and lastly actin. The application of Raman spectroscopy showed that as the heating temperature increased from 40 to 100 °C, there was a shift towards more β-turns and fewer α-helices in the protein secondary structures, indicating the extent of protein denaturation and its subsequent effect on WHC. Notably, the WHC was significantly compromised between 60 and 80 °C due to extensive water loss from protein denaturation. However, at temperatures above 80 °C, the partial denaturation of collagen led to an enhanced WHC by creating a gel network. The findings of this study shed light on the thermal denaturation process of beef proteins and contribute to a foundational understanding for the meat processing industry to improve meat quality.