DEVELOPMENT OF LIPID OXIDATION AND INACTIVATION OF ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES IN COOKED PORK AND BEEF

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Ground pork and beef were heated to internal temperatures of 35, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90C to determine the effect of cooking on antioxidant enzyme activity and the development of lipid oxidation. The activity of catalase (CAT) decreased over 85% (compared to uncooked meat) in both pork and beef cooked to 60C. Glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) activity decreased 97 and 83% in pork and beef, respectively, cooked to 80C while superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was not observed to decrease until an internal temperature of 90C was reached. The development of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) increased rapidly in stored meat which had been cooked to 70C or greater suggesting that the inactivation of GSH‐Px and CAT could be partially responsible for the development of lipid oxidation in cooked meats.