Abstract: The properties of dietary fibers from different sources and the effect of dietary fiber source on the water-holding capacity, hardness and rheological properties of myofibrillar protein were studied. Furthermore, the effect of soybean dietary fiber amount on the water-holding capacity, hardness and G＇of myofibrillar protein-soybean dietary fiber gels during storage were investigated. The results indicated that the improvement of gel properties were correlated with the characteristics of dietary fiber, and dietary fibers with higher water-holding capacity and swelling capability could significantly improve the water-holding capacity and hardness of composite myofibrillar protein gels. The properties of myofibrillar protein gels could be properly improved by adding less than 3.0 g/100 g of soybean dietary fiber and 3.0 g/100 g of myofibrillar protein. The water-holding capacity of composite myofibrillar protein gels made up of 3.0 g/100 g of soybean dietary fiber and 3.0 g/100 g of myofibrillar protein was almost kept unchanged after storage for 3 weeks at 4 ℃, while the decreased water-holding capacity and increased hardness of composite myofibrillar protein gels with the same amount of potato starch as a substitute for soybean dietary fiber were observed. These investigations suggest that dietary fibers can be widely used in meat products in future.

Key words: dietary fiber, myofibrillar protein gel, rheological property, water-holding capacity, gel hardness