Abstract
This study aimed to characterize and optimize the tenderization condition of duck breast meat by adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP), with the aid of response surface methodology (RSM). The results showed that the optimal conditions for the tenderization of duck breast meat were at the NaCl concentration of 3.99 g/100 g, AMP concentration of 13.83 mmol/L, temperature of 15.32°C, and marinating time of 8 h. Compared with control duck breast meat, AMP combined with NaCl treatment demonstrated significant effects on improvement of meat tenderness and decrease of cooking loss. Such effects might be ascribed to the combination of a series of biochemical reactions, e.g. increase of muscle pH, dissociation of actomyosin and inhibition of meat shrinkage. Therefore, the mixture of AMP and NaCl could be regarded as an effective tenderization agent for duck breast meat.