The effect of psyllium ( Forsk) fibres on the mechanical and physicochemical characteristics of plant-based sausages.

Unlabelled: Psyllium is a source of natural dietary fibre with recognised health benefits that can be used as a hydrocolloid with functional food applications. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different levels of fibres in plant-based sausages on their composition, physicochemical, and mechanical properties. Proximate composition was studied.

Microstructural changes in Teruel dry-cured ham during processing.

Dry-cured ham, "Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)" Teruel, is a high quality meat product processed using a traditional dry-curing procedure. The objective of this paper was to study the microstructure of the Biceps femoris and Semimembranosus muscles during "PDO Teruel" dry-cured ham processing using electron microscopy techniques (Cryo-SEM, SEM and TEM). The Semimembranosus and Biceps femoris muscles from raw ham show the typical structure of muscle tissue in meat.

Changes in proteins during Teruel dry-cured ham processing.

The aim of this work was to investigate the degradation of the water-soluble and myofibrillar proteins during the production of "PDO Teruel" cured ham using SDS-PAGE, and measurement of proteolytic activities (cathepsins B+L, cathepsin L, cathepsin D), as factors that influence the sensory characteristics of this product. This paper contributes to the specific characterisation of a product included in the European Union list of special quality products. The results showed that water-soluble proteins decrease considerably due to salting out and drainage after salting.

Microstructural changes in rabbit meat wrapped with Pteridium aquilinum fern during postmortem storage.

This work studied the microstructural degradation of rabbit semimembranosus muscle wrapped with Pteridium aquilinum fern fronds, stored at 4 °C during the first 72 h postmortem. At the microstructural level, practically all the perimysial and endomysial connective tissue was destroyed and a small degradation of the myofibrils could be observed after the first 24 h postmortem; in addition, a degradation of the sarcolemma and the generation of numerous gaps were seen. After 32 h postmortem, tissue fibres were broken, cell membranes were more strongly degraded, and the connections between the sarcolemma and the myofibrils had disappeared.