Influence of partial replacement of NaCl by KCl, l-histidine and l-lysine on the lipase activity and lipid oxidation in dry-cured loin process

An attempt to decrease the NaCl content in dry-cured meat product through the use of amino acids, the effect of a salt substitute containing l-histidine (l-his) and l-lysine (l-lys) on lipolysis and lipid oxidation was compared with that of NaCl throughout processing. In the final product, the sodium content of the loin with salt substitute (SS-loin) was 53.79% less than that of the loin treated with NaCl (S-loin). A significant increase in phospholipase activity was observed in SS-loin from the end of drying-ripening, which was 8-18 days (P < 0.05). The activities of acid lipase in porcine loin were markedly activated by 0.05-0.4 M l-his. Compared to the control, higher phospholipase activity was observed for 0.2-0.4 M l-lys and 0.05-0.4 M l-his in porcine loin. The Aw in the SS-loin was 3.51% more than that in the S-loin, and the TBARS was 5.19% lower (P < 0.05) in the SS-loin compared to the S-loin. The results suggested that the decreased TBARS content of the dry-cured loins was might mainly due to the inhibition of lipid oxidation by l-lys and l-his in salt substitute.