Effect of natural marinade based on lactic acid bacteria on pork meat quality parameters and biogenic amine contents

• The potato tuber juice is a potential natural substrate for lactic acid fermentation.
• Marination with lactofermented potato juice increased the tenderness and improved the colour of pork meat.
• Marinated meat had higher acceptability compared with unmarinated samples.
• The phenylethylamine, putrescine and cadaverine are predominant amines in marinated pork.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical (i.e. pH value, color, cooking loss, water holding capacity (WHC), tenderness) and sensory quality, and biogenic amine (BAs) contents of pork meat after treatment with natural marinade based on lacto-fermented potato tuber juice. The P. acidilactici KTU05-7, P. pentosaceus KTU05-9 and Lactobacillus sakei KTU05-6 were used as starter cultures for potato juice fermentation. The present study demonstrates the significant differences (P < 0.05) between the quality characteristics of the marinated and unmarinated samples. Pork meat marination (24 h) with lacto-fermented marinade lowered the WHC thus increased cooking loss as compared to the controls. Marination reduced the lightness and the yellowness and increased the redness of pork meat. The sensory analysis showed that marinated meat in all cases had significantly higher (P < 0.05) acceptability scores depended on the LAB strain used for marinade preparation. The phenylethylamine (7.14–35.49 mg/kg), putrescine (14.56–131.29 mg/kg) and cadaverine (13.15–49.91 mg/kg) were predominant BAs in all pork meat samples; however BAs concentrations were far below the levels causing a health risk. The study shown that P. pentosaceus KTU05-9 and P. acidilactici KTU05-7 are most suitable for potato juice fermentation, and such products could be recommended for the pork meat marination to improve its color and tenderness and to increase the acceptability.