Abstract: In this work, the effect of the addition of different amounts of chitooligosaccharide (0%, 1%, 2% and 4%) on the gel quality of chicken breast batter subjected to high temperature treatment was investigated. It was found that the addition of chitooligosaccharide significantly increased the hardness and chewiness (P < 0.05), reduced the cooking loss (P < 0.05) and increased water-holding capacity (WHC) of chicken breast gel compared with the control group. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy showed that chitooligosaccharide increased the proportion of immobile water and decreased the proportion of free water within the gel and the transverse relaxation time. Microstructural analysis showed that the gel network structure of chicken breast batter gradually became more regular and homogeneous, with small pores being observed in the gel, as the concentration of added chitooligosaccharide increased from 1% to 4%. Besides, addition of chitooligosaccharide resulted in positive changes in the smell and color of chicken breast gel, with the best overall acceptability being obtained when 4% chitooligosaccharide was added. In conclusion, chitooligosaccharide can be used to improve the quality of chicken breast batter subjected to high temperature treatment.

Key words: chitooligosaccharide; high temperature; chicken breast batter; gel characteristics; microstructure