EFFECTS OF BROMELAIN ENZYMATIC

PROTEOLISIS ON SOME RHEOLOGICAL AND

TECHNOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF BEEF

Authors: Răzvan RADU-RUSU1, Roxana RAȚU1, Olga SOROCOPUD2

1
USAMV Iași; 2USAMV București
radurazvan@uaiasi.ro
 PROTOCOL

Biological material:
120 Longissimus dorsi samples (3x3x1.5 cm) taken from 12 adult cattle carcasses.

EXPERIMENTAL FACTOR:
Bromelain as enzymatic proteolitic agent:
• non treated beef (Control – NET group, samples immersed in water, 7 hours, at 4ºC);
• beef treated with bromelain from natural source (pineapple, grinded, 50% aqueous solution –
ABE group, samples immersed throughout 7 hours, at 4ºC)
• beef treated with bromelain food additive (lyophilised, 1% aqueous solution) (BFA group,
samples immersed throughout 7 hours, at 4ºC);

REASONING CRITERIONS:
• Adams consistency (n, ±% vs. control);
• Shear force (Newtons, ±% vs. control)
• Water holding capacity (%, ±% vs. control)
• Cooking yield (%, ±% vs. control)

STATISTICAL PROCESSING: descriptors (mean, std. error, variability)

 RESULTS –Dynamics of beef textural traits, as induced by bromelain proteolysis

Std.
Mean ±% vs.
Trait Group error v%
() Control
()
Adams NET (control, non-treated meat) 2.20 0.13 19.17 -
consistency BFA (bromelain food additive, 1%) 4.20 0.13 10.04 +90.91%
(units) ABE (pineapple extract, 50%) 3.80 0.13 11.10 +72.73%
47.10/ 1.58/
NET (control, non-treated meat) 10.58 -
4.803 0.161
Shear
36.12/ 0.92/
force (N/ BFA (bromelain food additive, 1%) 8.02 -23.31%
3.683 0.093
kgf)
39.30/ 0.75/
ABE (pineapple extract, 50%) 3.66 -16.56%
4.007 0.046
Adams consistency

4.20 3.80 47.10

4.00 45.00 36.12 39.30
3.00 2.20 30.00

Shear force (N)

2.00
(units)

1.00 15.00
0.00 0.00
 RESULTS –Dynamics technological traits, as induced by bromelain proteolysis

Mean Std. error ±% vs.

Trait Group v%
() () Control
NET
25.10 0.32 3.98 -
(control, non-treated meat)
Water holding
BFA
capacity 19.88 0.17 2.71 -20.79%
(bromelain food additive, 1%)
(%)
ABE
21.66 0.20 2.93 -13.70%
(pineapple extract, 50%)
NET
84.24 0.33 1.25 -
(control, non-treated meat)
Cooking yield BFA
73.54 0.47 2.03 -12.70%
(%) (bromelain food additive, 1%)
ABE
75.24 0.30 1.26 -10.68%
(pineapple extract, 50%)
Water holding capacity

30 25.10
19.88 21.66 100
20
95
10
Cooking yield (%) 90
0 84.24
85
(%)

80
75.24
75 73.54
70
65
60
NET BFA ABE
 CONCLUSIONS

The experimental factors induced samples tenderness improvement,

while the subsequent technological properties decreased.

Best textural results have been achieved when the bromelain food
additive 1% was used as proteolysis agent.

When it is considered to use such enzymes in the food processing

industry, the loss of technological properties, as consequences of undifferentiated,
nonspecific proteolysis must be taken into account.

It remains the alternative of microbial originated proteases that could

match better with the substrate, in order to decompose the connective
intermyofibrilar tissue.