Enzymatic Tenderization of Garden Snail Meat (Cornu aspersum aspersum) Using Plant Cysteine Proteases

This study examined the impact of enzymatic tenderization on <i>Cornu aspersum aspersum</i> snail meat using mechanical texture analysis, SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) protein profiling, and sensory evaluation. Samples were treated with papain (0.05-0.1%), bromelain (0.05-0.1%), or 10-25% ginger extract containing zingibain and subsequently hydrothermally processed. All enzymatic treatments significantly reduced shear force compared with the control (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The lowest connective tissue resistance (S1) was observed for 0.1% bromelain (14.1 N) and 10% ginger extract (19.0 N), versus >21 N in untreated samples. SDS-PAGE revealed that bromelain caused extensive degradation of high-molecular-weight proteins (>90 kDa), whereas papain induced moderate myofibrillar proteolysis. Higher concentrations of bromelain (0.1%) and ginger extract (25%) resulted in excessive softening and structural disintegration, leading to sensory disqualification. Sensory evaluation showed that moderate enzyme concentrations significantly improved overall acceptability (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Samples treated with 10% ginger extract achieved the highest overall sensory score (4.6/5), exceeding the control (3.9) and papain- or bromelain-treated samples (4.1-4.2). In conclusion, although bromelain exhibited the strongest proteolytic activity, a 10% ginger extract was identified as the optimal treatment, providing effective tenderization while preserving structural integrity and sensory quality.