Evaluation of product quality of low-fat sausage containing lotus rhizome root powders as affected by cooking method during storage.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the antioxidant activities of lotus root, Nelumbo nucifera, by producing oven-dried lotus root powder (ODLRP) and powdered ethanolic extracts of the ODLRP produced using different concentrations of ethanol (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) for various times (0-8 h). The effect of ODLRP and an ethanolic extract powder produced by an extraction of ODLRP with 50% ethanol for 4 h (ODLRP_E50%) in low-fat boiled and smoked pork sausages were investigated.

METHODS

Antioxidant activities of the ODLRP and the ethanol extracts produced from the ODLRP under different extraction conditions were analyzed. Then, the ODLRP and ODLRP_E50% extract powder were added to pork sausages at concentrations of 1% and 0.1%, respectively, to determine their effects on the physicochemical properties, and antibacterial and antioxidant activities the sausages.

RESULTS

The ODLRP ethanol extract powder exhibited antioxidant activity, regardless of extraction time. The pH value of the boiled pork sausages containing 1% ODLRP was lower than that of the control sausages (CS). The color value demonstrated that the lightness of the boiled and smoked sausages decreased with the addition of 1% ODLRP or 0.1% ODLRP_E50% compared with the CS, but their redness and yellowness increased. The hardness and gumminess of smoked sausages with 0.1% ODLRP_E50% were lower than those of the CS (p<0.05). However, the springiness of the boiled sausages containing 0.1% ODLRP_E50% decreased. Boiled sausages treated with ODLRP and ODLRP_E50% had lower thiobarbituric acid reactive substances compared with the CS from day 14 of storage. Moreover, the boiled sausages containing 1% sausages containing 0.1% ODLRP_E50% extract powder exhibited an extended shelf-life compared with the CS.

CONCLUSION

Ethanol extraction conditions of ODLRP and cooking methods of low-fat pork sausages are critical factors affecting the quality and shelf-life of sausages.