title: Effects of alpha-tocopherol on lactones in beef headspace during storage.
abstract: We studied the effect of alpha-tocopherol (alpha-Toc) on the production of lactones, a desirable flavor in Wagyu beef (Japanese Black Cattle), in meat headspace. Fresh beef was minced and divided into 4 groups containing different alpha-Toc levels (1.9, 2.7, 6.1, and 10.7 mg/kg) or packed with oxygen absorber. After 10 d of storage at 2 °C, these samples were cooked in distilled water and rendered fat was collected. The headspace of the fat was analyzed with solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The DB-17MS capillary column led to good separation of aliphatic lactones. Oxygen was important for the development of all lactones during storage. The amounts of gamma-octalactone and gamma-nonalactone decreased linearly with increasing alpha-Toc levels. The effect of alpha-Toc on delta-decalactone, delta-undecalactone, and delta-tetoradecalactone was weaker, and that on delta-hexadecalactone was ambiguous. These observations suggest that oxidation was necessary to develop the flavor of Wagyu beef, and warn that an excessive increase of alpha-Toc could reduce levels of positive flavor components, gamma-octalactone and gamma-nonalactone, in the headspace of Wagyu beef.
authors.affiliation: Grazing and Meat Production Research Team, Tohoku Natl. Agricultural Research Center, Morioka, Iwate 020-0198, Japan. akiraw@affrc.go.jp
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imanari
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shiba
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yonai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007783:Lactones / Q000032:analysis*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D052617:Solid Phase Microextraction; D013649:Taste; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D007783:Lactones; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D010100:Oxygen