Improving amino acids and digestive peptides contents of chicken breast paste using ultrasound-assisted EGCG treatment within a complex meat matrix

This study systematically investigated the unique effects of ultrasound-assisted EGCG treatment on the amino acids and digestive peptides contents of chicken breast paste. As a complex system, chicken samples exhibited distinct ultrasonic responses that cannot be extrapolated from simplified protein-based studies. To be specific, results demonstrated that ultrasound-assisted EGCG treatment significantly enhanced the essential/non-essential amino acids ratio to 41.03%, which could not be acquired through individual treatment. More so, structural analysis of meat pastes revealed that particle size was reduced by 62.72% after treatment. Furthermore, ultrasound-assisted EGCG treatment reduced total water contents by 13.65%, thereby promoting the transition of immobilized to free water. The above-mentioned changes enhanced enzymatic accessibility and increased peptide contents by 2.18%. This study innovatively highlighted the efficiency of ultrasonic-assisted EGCG treatment in enhancing nutritional features at the level of chicken matrix, offering an important advancement from theory to practice.