Antioxidant potential of a unique LAB culture isolated from Harbin dry sausage: In vitro and in a sausage model

- Four LAB strains from Harbin dry sausage expressed different antioxidant potentials.
- P. pentosaceus had the strongest antioxidant ability in vitro and in a sausage model.
- Some volatile compounds related to oxidation were lower in P. pentosaceus-sausages than in the controls.
- P. pentosaceus has the potential as an antioxidant culture in fermented meat products.

The lactic acid bacteria Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus brevis, and Lactobacillus fermentum isolated from Harbin dry sausage were evaluated for their potential antioxidant activity. The in vitro results showed that P. pentosaceus had the strongest H2O2 resistance, radical scavenging activity, reducing power, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation (P < 0.05). Additionally, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities in P. pentosaceus were higher than those observed in three other strains (P < 0.05). The inoculation of P. pentosaceus in dry sausage significantly decreased the quantities of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance and carbonyl formation, while it also reduced the sulfhydryl loss in sausages (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the lower content of volatile compounds that are related to lipid-oxidation, such as aldehydes, ketones and hydrocarbons, was observed in the P. pentosaceus inoculated sausage (P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that P. pentosaceus has the potential to be employed as an antioxidant starter culture in fermented meat products.