Protein and lipid oxidations in jerky chicken and consequences on sensory quality

Four chicken charqui samples were prepared, namely, B-B (Broiler Breast charqui); B-T (Broiler Thigh charqui); H-B (Hen Breast charqui); H-T (Hen Thigh charqui), and analyzed for lipid and protein oxidation, instrumental color and texture and sensory properties for 120 days at 25 degrees C. Oxidative reactions were highly affected by chicken age, storage time and muscle type. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances increased up to 1.6 mg/kg in H-T samples at day 90 and subsequently decreased by the end of storage. H-T also appeared as the most sensitive towards oxidation and suffered loss of thiols (61%), tryptophan depletion (30%) and formation of protein carbonyls (up to 1.97 nmol/mg protein). Grilled chicken and beef charqui flavors, which were found to be linked to lipid oxidation, decreased over time in favor of rancid aroma. Shear-force increased over time (from 105 to 207 N in H-B samples) and that occurred concomitantly with intense protein oxidation in jerky chicken. This study provides scientific evidence of the impact of lipid and protein oxidation on the loss of quality during storage of a processed chicken product.