Antioxidant effects on TBARS and fluorescence measurements in freeze-dried meats

Antioxidant activity of tocopherols (TOC), sodium erythorbate (ERY), TOC + ERY, and tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) in fresh and freeze-dried beef and chicken were measured by the thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) test and a fluorescence assay. Relative to controls, ERY, TOC, TOC + ERY, and TBHQ decreased lipid oxidation in fresh beef (p < 0.05). All antioxidants delayed lipid oxidation in freeze-dried meat relative to controls when measured by fluorescence (p < 0.05). Within a given storage time, freeze-dried meats with antioxidants also displayed lower oxidation than controls when TBARS were measured at 532 nm (p < 0.05), although these values within a treatment decreased over time. TBARS values measured at 450 nm increased with time, but treatments were prooxidative or had no effect.