Abstract:

Using three-factor and three-level completely randomized experiment design, this study analyzed the effects of κ- carrageenan (κCG), konjac gum (KGM) and modified corn starch (MCS) additions on water holding capacity (WHC), hardness and ultrastructure of chicken muscle homogenate. The results showed that both κCG and KGM had extremely significant effects on the WHC and hardness (p ＜ 0.01). MCS had extremely significant effects on the WHC (p ＜ 0.01), but presented significant effect on the hardness (p ＜ 0.05). Both the interactions between κCG and KGM (extremely significant, p ＜ 0.01) and between KGM and MCS (significant, p ＜ 0.05) significantly affected the WHC and the hardness, while the interaction between κCG and MCS only affected the WHC. Moreover, κCG, MCS and muscle protein may form three-dimensional network structure, and MCS played a filling agent in the gel network void, which made the gel system has a good three-dimensional structure and then affected the water holding capacity and hardness of the gel system.

Key words: chicken muscle homogenate, carrageenan, konjac gum, corn modified starch, heat-induced gel, ultrastructure