Four Spices Differentially Modulate Roasted Beef Patty Quality and Fluorescent ALEs Formation via Carbonyl Precursors

The accumulation of dietary advanced lipid oxidation end-products (ALEs) in thermally processed meat products is closely associated with quality deterioration and potential health risks. Spices are widely recognized for both flavoring and antioxidant properties and may therefore help reduce ALEs formation, yet their comparative and dose-dependent effects remain insufficiently defined. In this study, roasted beef patties were used as a model food to systematically evaluate the effects of dried tangerine peel, cinnamon, clove, and rosemary, each individually added at 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1.0% (w/w), on product quality, ALEs formation and the accumulation of ALEs precursors. Pearson correlation analysis and principal component analysis were further applied to explore the relationships among spice antioxidant properties, carbonyl precursor accumulation, and ALE-associated fluorescence. The results showed that the four spices had no significant effect on cooking loss but influenced color and, to a lesser extent, texture attributes. Their inhibitory effects on ALEs formation differed substantially. Clove and rosemary showed stronger and more stable inhibition, particularly at 0.5% and 1.0% addition levels. Precursor analysis showed that clove and rosemary markedly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, whereas glyoxal and methylglyoxal exhibited more variable responses among treatments. Changes in MDA were more consistent with those in ALE-associated fluorescence. Clove exhibited the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents and overall antioxidant potential. Integrated analysis further indicated that stronger antioxidant properties were associated with lower MDA levels and ALE-associated fluorescence. However, the relatively strong in vitro antioxidant activity of cinnamon did not translate into stronger inhibition in the beef patty matrix, suggesting that antioxidant capacity alone could not fully explain the spice-dependent effects. Overall, clove and rosemary at 0.5–1.0% (w/w) were the most promising treatments for mitigating fluorescent ALE-associated product formation in roasted beef patties.