Abstract: The postmortem conversion of muscle to meat involves a series of biochemical changes, and their interaction will determine meat quality. Protein oxidation induced by oxidative stress and post-translational modification of proteins have an important effect on the formation of meat quality. However, there are rare reports discussing the underlying mechanisms systematically. This paper describes the relationship between oxidative stress and protein oxidation, and summarizes the effects and mechanisms of protein oxidation and post-translational modification on the formation of meat qualities such as tenderness, water-holding capacity, color and nutritional value; which will theoretically guide meat science research in the future.

Key words: meat quality; oxidative stress; protein oxidation; protein post-translational modification