Time course of peptide fingerprints in semimembranosus and biceps femoris muscles during Bayonne ham processing.

The aim of this work was to define reliable markers of muscle and processing time in dry-cured ham using a rapid, precise semi quantitative method for the protein fraction soluble in low ionic strength buffer. For this purpose protein labchip Agilent was used to separate proteins and peptides and accurately determine their molecular weights and concentrations electrophoretically. In this way the protein fingerprinting of dry-cured ham at different process times was characterised, together with targets and products of proteolysis. In addition, the comparison of all the electrophoregrams indicated muscle and dry-curing process markers.