ABSTRACT
In order to determine the possible contribution of micro-organisms to the ripening of meat products, 48 cocci, 18 moulds and 20 yeasts isolated from dry-cured Iberian ham were evaluated for proteolytic activity. Two specific methods were used: the ability to hydrolyse myosin in broth and, for those strains showing high activities, hydrolysis on both myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins on pork slices. Moulds and cocci showed the highest proteolytic activity for myosin in broth. Both myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins were recovered at lower rates from inoculated than from sterile incubated pork. The deepest changes in myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins were originated by one strain each of Penicillium chrysogenum and Staphylococcus xylosus, respectively. Only small changes were observed in the concentrations of free amino acids from inoculated pork slices, except for the samples with P. chrysogenum, where there were increases in all free amino acids. Thus, P. chrysogenum makes a significant contribution to proteolysis during the ripening of dry-cured meat products.
Subject(s)
Gram-Positive Cocci/enzymology , Meat Products/microbiology , Myosins/metabolism , Yeasts/enzymology , Animals , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel , Gram-Positive Cocci/isolation & purification , Hydrolysis , Myosins/analysis , Swine/microbiology , Time Factors , Yeasts/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
The fungal population on dry-cured Iberian ham can be essential to the development of the product's unique characteristics, but health hazards due to mycotoxins may be significant. We examined the natural fungal population of Iberian hams during ripening at three different locations. Chloroform extracts from 59 selected isolates were tested for toxicity to brine shrimp larvae and VERO cells, for mutagenicity in the Ames test and for antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The diversity of moulds increased during ripening. Penicillium commune, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium aurantiogriseum, Penicillium expansum and Penicillium echinulatum dominated most of the ripening time; however, the Eurotium species, particularly E. herbariorum and E. repens, increased in the final product. Using the above tests, most moulds were toxigenic. The toxigenic potential of the fungal population increased as the processing progressed. To minimize health hazards from uncontrolled fungal populations, we identified non toxigenic strains of Penicillium chrysogenum that could be used as starters in dry-cured hams.
Subject(s)
Food Preservation , Meat/microbiology , Mycotoxins/toxicity , Penicillium , Animals , Artemia/drug effects , Artemia/growth & development , Chlorocebus aethiops , Mutagenicity Tests , Penicillium/isolation & purification , Salmonella/drug effects , Salmonella/growth & development , Spain , Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects , Staphylococcus aureus/growth & development , Swine , Vero Cells/drug effectsABSTRACT
The relationship between the superficial yeast population and the ripening conditions of Iberian dry cured hams has been studied for three different locations. Tentative identifications were carried out for 836 isolates. Candida zeylanoides was the dominating yeast in early stages, whereas more than 99% of isolates from the surface of matured hams were identified as Debaryomyces hansenii. A great diversity of strains of C. zeylanoides and D. hansenii was found. The characteristic pattern of isolates from the various locations and the selection of various strains of D. hansenii during ripening make the study of the yeasts useful for estimating the progress of maturation.