Use of fritillariae stem extract as food additive, food additive and sausage and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of food additive and meat product.The food additive includes: fritillariae stem extract, the fritillariae stem extract is obtained by the following way: fritillariae stem is treated with immersion in extraction solvent, the immersion extraction liquid is filtered, and the filtered extraction liquid is obtained, the filtered extraction liquid is treated with reduced pressure distillation, and the fritillariae stem extract is obtained;Meat product includes: 100 weight parts of edible meat and 0.1-1 weight parts of the food additive described above.The food additive has the effects of antioxidant, inhibiting bacterial content and inhibiting spoilage, etc., and the fritillariae stem extract is used to prepare meat product, and the water activity of meat product can also be appropriately improved, so as to effectively improve the tenderness and taste of meat product.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of food processing, and in particular, the present application relates to a food additive and a sausage and a preparation method thereof, and more particularly, the present application relates to the use of a fritillaria straw extract as a food additive, a food additive, a meat product and a method for preparing a meat product. BACKGROUND

[0002] The consumption of cured meat products, particularly sausages, can be traced back to ancient times and is still a popular, convenient and highly shelf-stable meat food to this day, and is also an indispensable nutritional form in modern society. Due to the high fat content of Chinese sausages, they are a good substrate for spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, and are extremely susceptible to spoilage or corruption during processing and storage. The quality of sausage products is greatly affected by microbial growth and lipid oxidation, which directly determines the sensory, flavor and nutritional value of the meat product. In recent years, foodborne diseases caused by pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms have been frequently reported, and consumers are increasingly concerned about the safety of sausage products.

[0003] In the industrialized production process of sausage products, chemical additives are mainly used to inhibit the growth of microorganisms and lipid oxidation, in order to effectively extend the shelf life of meat products. In order to maintain the shelf life, some chemical preservatives such as nitrate are often added to Chinese sausages. These chemical preservatives mainly have the effects of antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-browning. The use range and amount of chemical food additives are strictly limited in various countries. Conventionally, the main ones that can be used in appropriate amounts are acetic acid, potassium acetate, calcium acetate, lactic acid, carbon dioxide and malic acid; limited use also includes benzoic acid and benzoate (ADI 5mg / kg bw), sorbic acid and potassium sorbate (ADI 25mg / kg bw), nitrate (ADI 3.7mg / kg bw) and nitrite (ADI 0.07mg / kg bw), etc. However, long-term studies have shown that the excessive and improper use of some chemical preservatives may pose safety risks such as carcinogenicity, skin and respiratory tract allergies, insomnia, hyperactivity and cardiovascular diseases.

[0004] In addition, from the consumption habits of Chinese sausage products, consumers generally believe that Sichuan-flavored sausages can cause "dryness", "heat", "cough" and other traditional Chinese medicine representations. In order to restore consumers' confidence in food safety, the food industry has begun to seek safer natural alternatives that also have effective antibacterial and antioxidant functions. Therefore, in addition to expecting natural plant extracts to have antibacterial and antioxidant properties, it is also hoped that natural plant extracts will have health-related beneficial ingredients. Ultimately, "natural", "green" and "health" factors will be integrated into Chinese sausage products, and products that meet market demand and are deeply loved by the public will be developed. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art to some extent. To this end, the present application provides a meat product containing a fritillaria straw extract, which can effectively resist bacteria and oxidation, prevent oxidation and rancidity, and has a certain water activity retention function, can improve the tenderness of sausages, has good taste, long refrigerated shelf life and other advantages.

[0006] The present application is based on the following findings of the inventors:

[0007] Fritillaria cirrhosa D.Don, Fritillaria unibracteata Hsiao et K.C.Hsia, Fritillaria przewalskii Maxim., Fritillaria delavayi Franch., Fritillaria taipaiensis P.Y.Li and Fritillaria unibracteata Hsiao et K.C.Hsia var.wabuensis (S.Y.Tang et S.C.Yue) Z.D.Liu, S.Wang et S.C.Chen), has the effects of clearing heat and moistening lung, reducing phlegm and relieving cough, resolving nodules and abscesses, and is often used in clinical treatment of lung heat and dry cough, dry cough with little phlegm, and yin deficiency and labor cough. While harvesting Fritillaria cirrhosa D.Don, the aboveground parts of Fritillaria are discarded, resulting in a large amount of Fritillaria straw, causing a large amount of resource waste. Therefore, comprehensive development and utilization of Fritillaria cirrhosa D.Don by-products to improve their added value is an important way to extend the Fritillaria cirrhosa D.Don industrial chain, and has certain significance for the current energy saving and emission reduction.

[0008] The inventors found that after extracting the Fritillaria straw, a Fritillaria straw extract was obtained, which can be used as a food additive to replace chemical bacteriostatic agents and synthetic antioxidants. And the inventors found that when chemical bacteriostatic agents and synthetic antioxidants are used to prepare meat products, although the antibacterial and antioxidant effects are obvious, the water activity of the meat products can be reduced, the growth of microorganisms can be inhibited, and the shelf life can be prolonged, but the water activity of the meat products is affected, and the taste of the meat products is reduced. The inventors unexpectedly found that when the Fritillaria straw extract is used as a food additive for meat products, the prepared meat products have a high water activity, thereby effectively improving the tenderness and taste of the meat products, and compared with meat products prepared by using chemical bacteriostatic agents and synthetic antioxidants, the lipid oxidation of the meat products can be effectively reduced, the bacterial content and corruption can be inhibited, and the shelf life of the meat products can be prolonged.

[0009] In one aspect of the present application, the present application provides a use of a bulb stem extract as a food additive. According to an embodiment of the present application, the bulb stem extract as a food additive can have effects of antioxidation, inhibition of bacterial content, and inhibition of spoilage; and the use of the bulb stem extract for preparing a meat product can also increase the water activity of the meat product, thereby effectively improving the tenderness and taste of the meat product.

[0010] In another aspect of the present application, the present application provides a food additive. According to an embodiment of the present application, the food additive includes a bulb stem extract. According to an embodiment of the present application, the food additive has effects of antioxidation, inhibition of bacterial content, and inhibition of spoilage; and the use of the bulb stem extract for preparing a meat product can also increase the water activity of the meat product, thereby effectively improving the tenderness and taste of the meat product.

[0011] In another aspect of the present application, the present application provides a meat product. According to an embodiment of the present application, the meat product includes 100 parts by weight of edible meat and 0.1 to 1 parts by weight of the aforementioned food additive. According to an embodiment of the present application, the meat product to which the aforementioned food additive is added can have increased water activity and tenderness, good texture and taste, and reduced fat oxidation value and total bacterial content, thereby prolonging the shelf life.

[0012] In another aspect of the present application, the present application provides a method of preparing a meat product. According to an embodiment of the present application, the method includes mixing the aforementioned food additive and a predetermined amount of edible meat, thereby obtaining the meat product. According to an embodiment of the present application, the method is simple to prepare and can produce a meat product having good taste and long storage time.

[0013] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following and / or by practice of the application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and be readily appreciated from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1 Results of changes in the moisture content of the sausages in Test Example 1 of the present application;

[0016] Figure 2 Results of changes in the malondialdehyde content of the sausages in Test Example 2 of the present application;

[0017] Figure 3 Results of changes in the volatile basic nitrogen content of the sausages in Test Example 3 of the present application;

[0018] Figure 4The results show the total bacterial count changes in sausages in Test Example 4 of this invention;

[0019] Figure 5 The results show the changes in water activity of the sausage in Test Example 5 of this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. The embodiments described below are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0021] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. Furthermore, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0022] The endpoints and any values ​​of the ranges disclosed herein are not limited to the precise ranges or values, and these ranges or values ​​should be understood to include values ​​close to these ranges or values. For numerical ranges, the endpoint values ​​of the various ranges, the endpoint values ​​of the various ranges and individual point values, and individual point values ​​can be combined with each other to obtain one or more new numerical ranges, which should be considered as specifically disclosed herein.

[0023] In this document, the terms “comprising” or “including” are open-ended expressions, meaning that they include the contents specified in this invention, but do not exclude other aspects.

[0024] In this document, the terms “optionally,” “optionally,” or “optionally” generally refer to an event or condition that may, but may not, occur, and the description includes both cases in which the event or condition occurs and cases in which the event or condition does not occur.

[0025] This invention proposes the use of Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract as a food additive, a food additive, a meat product, and a method for preparing meat products, which will be described in detail below.

[0026] use

[0027] In one aspect, the present invention provides the use of Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract as a food additive. According to embodiments of the present invention, Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract, as a food additive, can exert antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-spoilage effects; furthermore, using Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract in the preparation of meat products can also increase the water activity of the meat products, thereby effectively improving the tenderness and texture of the meat products. In particular, the Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract of the present invention is used to inhibit the production of malondialdehyde and / or inhibit or mitigate the production of volatile basic nitrogen and / or inhibit microbial growth during the preparation and / or storage of meat products.

[0028] It should be noted that in this article, "food" should be interpreted broadly as any edible product, including but not limited to human food, pet food, animal feed, or health food. The term "food additive" should also be interpreted broadly as additives that can be added to human food, pet food, animal feed, or health food without specific restrictions, and can be used to improve the antioxidant properties of food, enhance its antibacterial properties, prevent spoilage, or increase its water activity.

[0029] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the food additive is used to prepare meat products, and the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is used to maintain the water activity of the meat products. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the food additive is used to prepare meat products, and the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is used to control the increase rate of water activity of the meat products within 21 to 28 days to below 2.1%, for example, below 2.09%, 2.05%, 2.04%, 2.03%, 2.02%, 2.01%, and 2%. During the experiment, the inventors found that the water activity of meat products prepared with traditional antioxidants showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing from day 21 to 35, especially with a large increase rate within 21 to 28 days, leading to significant changes in water activity in the meat products, thus affecting the tenderness and taste of the meat products; while the fritillaria cirrhosa straw of the present invention can maintain stable water activity in meat products, resulting in meat products with higher tenderness and better taste.

[0030] According to embodiments of the present invention, the food additive is used to prepare meat products, and the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is used to inhibit or mitigate the production of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the meat products. According to embodiments of the present invention, the food additive is used to prepare meat products, and the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is used to reduce the MDA content of the meat products within 35 days to below 1.3 mg / kg, for example, below 1.29%, 1.25%, 1.2%, 1.15%, 1.1%, 1.05%, and 1%. Thus, during the preparation and / or storage of meat products, the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract of the present invention is used to inhibit the production of MDA in the meat products.

[0031] According to embodiments of the present invention, the food additive is used to prepare meat products, and the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is used to inhibit or mitigate the production of volatile basic nitrogen in the meat products. According to embodiments of the present invention, the food additive is used to prepare meat products, and the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is used to reduce the volatile basic nitrogen content of the meat products within 35 days to below 68 mg / 100g, for example, below 67.99 mg / 100g, 67.5 mg / 100g, 67.4 mg / 100g, 67.33 mg / 100g, 67.3 mg / 100g, 67.2 mg / 100g, 67.1 mg / 100g, and 67 mg / 100g, especially below 67.33 mg / 100g. Thus, during the preparation and / or storage of meat products, the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract of the present invention is used to inhibit or mitigate the production of volatile basic nitrogen in the meat products.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the food additive is used to prepare meat products, and the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is used to inhibit the growth of microorganisms in the meat products.

[0033] According to embodiments of the present invention, the food additive is used to prepare meat products, and the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is used to reduce the total bacterial count of the meat products within 35 days to below 6.5 CFU / g, for example, below 6.49 CFU / g, 6.45 CFU / g, 6.4 CFU / g, 6.38 CFU / g, 6.35 CFU / g, 6.3 CFU / g, 6.25 CFU / g, 6.2 CFU / g, 6.15 CFU / g, 6.1 CFU / g, 6.05 CFU / g, and 6 CFU / g. Thus, during the preparation and / or storage of meat products, the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract of the present invention is used to inhibit the growth of microorganisms in the meat products.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the food additive is used to prepare meat products, and the weight of the added fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is 0.1% to 2% of the weight of the meat products, preferably 0.5% to 1%.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fritillaria stalks are derived from at least one of Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don, Fritillaria unibracteata Hsiao et KCHsia, Fritillaria przewalskii Maxim., Fritillaria delavayi Franch., Fritillaria taipaiensis PYLi, and Fritillaria wabu, preferably Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don.

[0036] According to embodiments of the present invention, the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract exists in liquid, paste, or powder form.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fritillaria stalk extract is obtained by: soaking fritillaria stalks in an extraction solvent to obtain fritillaria stalk extract; further, filtering the soaking extract to obtain fritillaria stalk extract; further, vacuum distilling the soaking extract or the filtered extract to obtain fritillaria stalk extract. Thus, the obtained fritillaria stalk extract has high antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-spoilage properties, and can further improve the water activity, tenderness, and taste of meat products.

[0038] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the extraction solvent is selected from ethanol, preferably ethanol with a mass percentage of 60-95%.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mass ratio of the fritillaria cirrhosa straw to the extraction solvent is 1:(20-30).

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the soaking treatment is performed at a temperature of 45–60°C.

[0041] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the soaking time for the soaking treatment is 20 to 40 minutes.

[0042] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum distillation process is carried out at 60–70°C.

[0043] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract exists in the form of powder; further, after the vacuum distillation treatment, the vacuum distillation product is freeze-dried.

[0044] food additives

[0045] In another aspect, the present invention provides a food additive. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the food additive comprises: Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the food additive has antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-spoilage effects; and using Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract to prepare meat products can also increase the water activity of the meat products, thereby effectively improving the tenderness and taste of the meat products. In particular, the Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract of the present invention is used to inhibit the production of malondialdehyde and / or inhibit or mitigate the production of volatile basic nitrogen and / or inhibit microbial growth during the preparation and / or storage of the meat products.

[0046] For example, the food additive is used to prepare meat products, and the fritillaria cirrhosa straw can maintain the water activity of the meat products.

[0047] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fritillaria stalks are derived from at least one of Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don, Fritillaria unibracteata Hsiao et KCHsia, Fritillaria przewalskii Maxim., Fritillaria delavayi Franch., Fritillaria taipaiensis PYLi, and Fritillaria wabu, preferably Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don.

[0048] According to embodiments of the present invention, the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract exists in liquid, paste, or powder form.

[0049] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fritillaria stalk extract is obtained by: soaking fritillaria stalks in an extraction solvent to obtain fritillaria stalk extract; further, filtering the soaking extract to obtain fritillaria stalk extract; further, vacuum distilling the soaking extract or the filtered extract to obtain fritillaria stalk extract. Thus, the obtained fritillaria stalk extract has high antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-spoilage properties, and can further improve the water activity, tenderness, and taste of meat products.

[0050] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the extraction solvent is selected from ethanol, preferably ethanol with a mass percentage of 60-95%.

[0051] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mass ratio of the fritillaria cirrhosa straw to the extraction solvent is 1:(20-30).

[0052] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the soaking treatment is performed at a temperature of 45–60°C.

[0053] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the soaking time for the soaking treatment is 20 to 40 minutes.

[0054] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum distillation process is carried out at 60–70°C.

[0055] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract exists in the form of powder; further, after the vacuum distillation treatment, the vacuum distillation product is freeze-dried.

[0056] Those skilled in the art will understand that the features and advantages described above for the intended use also apply to this food additive, and will not be repeated here.

[0057] Meat products

[0058] In another aspect, the present invention provides a meat product. According to an embodiment of the invention, the meat product comprises: 100 parts by weight of edible meat; and 0.1 to 1 parts by weight of the aforementioned food additives. According to an embodiment of the invention, the meat product with the above-mentioned food additives added can improve its water activity and tenderness, have a better texture and taste, and can reduce its fat oxidation value and total bacterial count, thus extending its shelf life. Furthermore, this meat product has the effects of clearing heat and moistening the lungs, resolving phlegm and relieving cough, and dispersing nodules and reducing swelling.

[0059] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the edible meat includes at least one selected from livestock meat, poultry meat, seafood meat, and protein meat.

[0060] It should be noted that in this article, "protein meat" is also known as plant-based meat or artificial meat, referring to a protein that imitates the appearance and taste of meat by using plant proteins such as soy protein, wheat protein, and / or peanut protein as raw materials.

[0061] It should be noted that in this article, poultry includes, but is not limited to, chicken, duck and goose; seafood includes, but is not limited to, fish, crab and snail; and livestock includes, but is not limited to, pork, beef and mutton.

[0062] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the edible meat includes at least one selected from lean meat and fatty meat.

[0063] It should be noted that in this article, "lean meat" or "fat meat" can be selected from livestock meat or poultry meat, respectively. "Lean meat" or "fat meat" can independently refer to one or more types of livestock meat.

[0064] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the meat product includes food or health products.

[0065] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the food includes at least one selected from sausage, bacon, and braised meat.

[0066] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the food is a sausage, and the edible meat includes lean meat and fat meat, wherein the weight ratio of the fat meat to the lean meat is (2-3):(7-8). Preferably, it is lean meat and fat meat from pork.

[0067] Those skilled in the art will understand that the features and advantages described above regarding the uses and food additives also apply to this meat product, and will not be repeated here.

[0068] Methods for preparing meat products

[0069] In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for preparing meat products. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method includes: mixing the aforementioned food additives with a predetermined amount of edible meat to obtain the meat product. According to an embodiment of the present invention, this method is simple to prepare and can produce meat products with good taste and long shelf life under refrigeration.

[0070] According to embodiments of the present invention, the food additive is added at a weight percentage of 0.1% to 1% of the edible meat, preferably 0.8% to 1%. This further reduces the fat oxidation value and total bacterial count of the food, and improves its water activity and tenderness.

[0071] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the edible meat includes at least one selected from livestock meat, poultry meat, seafood meat, and protein meat.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the edible meat includes at least one selected from lean meat and fatty meat.

[0073] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the meat product includes food or health products.

[0074] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the food includes at least one selected from sausage, bacon, and braised meat.

[0075] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the food is a sausage, and the method further includes: filling the mixed processing product into a casing and air-drying it.

[0076] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the edible meat includes lean meat and fat meat, wherein the weight ratio of fat meat to lean meat is (1-5):(5-9).

[0077] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes adding edible salt and / or white sugar to the edible meat.

[0078] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the added salt accounts for 1% to 3% of the weight of the edible meat. This further improves the texture of the sausage.

[0079] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the added white sugar accounts for 1% to 3% of the weight of the edible meat. This further improves the texture of the sausage.

[0080] Those skilled in the art will understand that the features and advantages described above regarding the uses and food additives also apply to this method, and will not be repeated here.

[0081] The present invention will be explained below with reference to embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that the following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention. Where specific techniques or conditions are not specified in the embodiments, they are performed according to the techniques or conditions described in the literature in the field or according to the product instructions. Reagents or instruments whose manufacturers are not specified are all conventional products that can be obtained commercially. Unless otherwise specified, "extract" in the following embodiments refers to Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract.

[0082] Example 1: Preparation of Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract

[0083] In this embodiment, the fritillaria cirrhosa straw was purchased from Sichuan Aba Shenhe Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. The preparation method of the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is as follows:

[0084] 1. Dry the fritillaria stalks to a constant weight, then crush the fritillaria stalks and pass them through an 80-mesh sieve to obtain fritillaria stalk powder for later use.

[0085] 2. Mix fritillaria cirrhosa straw powder with 70% food-grade ethanol at a mass ratio of 1:25, soak at 50℃ for 30 minutes, then sonicate at 450W for 40 minutes, filter and collect the filtrate, recover the filter residue, mix the filter residue with 70% food-grade ethanol at a mass ratio of 1:25, repeat twice, and combine the filtrates.

[0086] 3. Distill the collected filtrate under reduced pressure at 65°C using a rotary evaporator until it becomes viscous; add 50 mL of ultrapure water to the collection bottle, sonicate for 5 min, and then collect all the liquid in the collection bottle.

[0087] 4. Transfer the liquid in the collection bottle to a glass container and pre-freeze at -20°C for 12 hours.

[0088] 5. After freeze-drying the pre-frozen liquid at -80℃ for 48 hours, fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract powder is obtained.

[0089] Example 2: Sausage Preparation

[0090] The preparation process of sausage is as follows:

[0091] 1. Remove the skin and connective tissue from the pork hind leg meat, separate the fat and lean meat, and mince them into fine shreds using a meat grinder. Mix them evenly at a fat-to-lean ratio of 3:7, and divide them into 5 groups: blank group, BHA+BHT group, 0.1% extract group, 0.5% extract group, and 1% extract group. Then, add excipients to each group and mix well. The addition of each excipient in the 5 groups is shown in Table 1. Among them, the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract powder prepared in Example 1, and butylated hydroxyanisole and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol are commercially available; the addition amounts of antioxidants, salt, and sugar are all percentages of the total weight of fat and lean meat.

[0092] Table 1: Amount of excipients added to each group

[0093]

[0094] 2. After mixing the meat in step 1, marinate it in a 4℃ refrigerator for 2 hours. Stuff the meat into collagen sausage casings, tie knots manually every 15cm, and use a fully sterilized needle to prick holes in the sausages every 2-3cm. Place the sausages in an air-drying fermentation box to air-dry until the moisture loss rate reaches 30%. Remove the sausages, vacuum-pack them, and store them at 4℃. Measure various indicators on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 for comparative analysis. Day 0 is the start of air-drying, and packaging and storage take place on day 7.

[0095] Test Example 1: Detection of Moisture Content in Sausage

[0096] The inventors measured the moisture content of the sausages in Example 2 on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35. The test results are shown below. Figure 1 The results showed that the moisture content of the sausage decreased rapidly during the air-drying period, while it decreased slightly after the 14th day without significant change. This may be due to the low-temperature vacuum packaging during storage, which effectively prevents the sausage from losing moisture and drying out during refrigeration.

[0097] Test Example 2: Detection of Malondialdehyde Content in Sausage

[0098] During storage, the degree of fat oxidation in meat products directly affects their edible quality. By measuring the content of malondialdehyde, an oxidation product of fats, it can be seen that the peroxides produced by fat oxidation further decompose to produce aldehydes and ketones, which will continuously increase the TBARS value. Therefore, the higher the TBARS value of meat products, the higher the degree of fat oxidation, which leads to rancidity.

[0099] The inventors tested the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the sausages of Example 2 on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35, respectively, following the testing method specified in GB 5009.181-2016 National Food Safety Standard - Determination of Malondialdehyde in Food. The test results are shown below. Figure 2 The results showed that during the sausage drying and storage periods, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in all groups increased. However, compared with the control group, the increase was slower in the BHA+BHT group and the three extract groups (i.e., 0.1% extract, 0.5% extract, and 1% extract). During long-term storage (e.g., more than 28 days), the three extract groups showed better inhibitory effects on MDA than the BHA+BHT group.

[0100] The above results indicate that Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract can effectively inhibit the formation of malondialdehyde and slow down lipid oxidation in sausages.

[0101] Test Example 3: Detection of Volatile Basic Nitrogen Content in Sausage

[0102] Volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) refers to the alkaline nitrogenous substances such as ammonia and amines produced during the spoilage process of animal-based foods due to the decomposition of proteins by enzymes and bacteria. These substances are volatile, and the higher their content, the more amino acids are destroyed.

[0103] The inventors tested the volatile basic nitrogen content of the sausages in Example 2 on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35, respectively, following the method specified in GB 5009.228-2016 National Food Safety Standard: Determination of Volatile Basic Nitrogen in Food. The test results are shown below. Figure 3 The results showed that the TVB-N content of sausages in all five groups increased during the drying and storage period. The TVB-N content of sausages in the 1% extract group was significantly lower than that in the blank group and the BHA+BHT group, indicating that 1% straw extract can effectively slow down the production of volatile basic nitrogen and inhibit spoilage.

[0104] Test Example 4: Detection of Total Bacterial Count in Sausage

[0105] Total bacterial count is used to determine the degree of bacterial contamination and hygienic quality of food. It reflects whether the food production process meets hygiene requirements, allowing for an appropriate hygienic evaluation of the tested sample. The total bacterial count, to a certain extent, indicates the quality of food hygiene.

[0106] The inventors tested the total bacterial count of the sausages in Example 2 on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35, using the method specified in GB 4789.2-2016 National Food Safety Standard: Determination of Total Microbial Colony Count in Food. The test results are shown below. Figure 4The results showed that the total bacterial count of all five sausage groups was increasing. Among them, the total bacterial count of the three extract groups (0.1% extract, 0.5% extract and 1% extract) was significantly lower than that of the blank group and the BHA+BHT group. In particular, the total bacterial count of the 1% extract group was significantly lower.

[0107] The above results indicate that adding Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract can effectively inhibit the growth of microorganisms in sausage products, thereby delaying the spoilage and deterioration of meat products, and the effect is enhanced with the increase of the amount added.

[0108] Test Example 5: Detection of water activity in sausage

[0109] The inventors measured the water activity of the sausages in Example 2 on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35, using the method specified in GB 5009.3-2016 National Food Safety Standard - Determination of Moisture in Food. The test results are shown below. Figure 5 The results showed that water activity decreased rapidly during the drying of sausages. In the BHA+BHT group, water activity increased slightly on day 28 and then decreased significantly on day 35. Water activity in the three extract groups (0.1% extract, 0.5% extract and 1% extract) did not change significantly and showed significant differences compared with the blank control group at the same time point during storage.

[0110] The above results indicate that straw extract has a certain function of maintaining water activity, improving the tenderness of sausages and resulting in a better taste.

[0111] In addition, the inventors extracted extracts from plants such as Artemisia annua, honeysuckle, *Gnaphalium affine*, and *Cervi cornuta* septum to obtain Artemisia annua extract, honeysuckle extract, *Gnaphalium affine* extract, and *Cervi cornuta* septum extract. These four extracts were then used to prepare sausages, as detailed in Example 1. The results showed that compared to the Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract of this application, Artemisia annua and honeysuckle only had comparable antibacterial activity, but their antioxidant activity was lower. *Gnaphalium affine* and *Cervi cornuta* septum only had comparable antioxidant activity, but their antibacterial activity was lower. However, the sausages prepared from Artemisia annua extract, honeysuckle extract, *Gnaphalium affine* extract, and *Cervi cornuta* septum extract had lower water activity, even lower than the BHA+BHT group, resulting in poor tenderness and texture. Therefore, considering antibacterial activity, antioxidant activity, and water activity, the Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract showed better results, especially in maintaining antibacterial and antioxidant properties while also retaining water activity, thus improving the tenderness and texture of the sausage.

[0112] Test Example 6: Texture Rating of Sausage

[0113] The inventors referenced the method described in "Yin, XY; Wen, RX; Sun, FD; et al. Collaborative analysis on differences in volatile compounds of Harbin redsausages smoked with different types of woodchips based on gaschromatography-mass spectrometry combined with electronic nose. LWT, 2021, 143:111144." and made appropriate modifications. The specific evaluation criteria are shown in Table 2. A panel of 10 trained personnel (male to female ratio of 1:1) was formed. First, the color, flavor, and shape of the sausages were evaluated. Then, the sausages were steamed for 30 minutes and cooled to room temperature before being sliced ​​into approximately 0.5 cm thin slices for taste and flavor evaluation. The effects of adding fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract and other additives on the sensory scores of the sausages are shown in Table 3. As shown in Table 2, the sensory score of the sausage gradually increased with the increase of the amount of Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract added. This is mainly because the addition of Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract improved the water activity of the sausage, inhibited spoilage, and resulted in a dense and non-loose texture with excellent taste.

[0114] Table 2: Sensory Evaluation Criteria

[0115]

[0116] Table 3: Sausage Sensory Scores

[0117] Group Control group BHA + BHT group 0.1% extract group 0.5% extract group 1% extract group Score 63±3.8 83±4.2 80±6.7 84±6.4 89±5.8

[0118] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0119] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. The use of a fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract in improving sausage quality; The fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is used to maintain the water activity of the sausage; the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is used to inhibit or alleviate the production of malondialdehyde in the sausage; the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is used to inhibit or alleviate the production of volatile basic nitrogen in the sausage; the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is used to inhibit the growth of microorganisms in the sausage; The weight of the fritillaria stalk extract added is 0.1% to 1% of the weight of the sausage; The fritillaria cirrhosa straw mentioned is derived from Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don. The preparation method of the fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract is as follows: a. Dry the fritillaria stalks to a constant weight, then crush the fritillaria stalks and pass them through an 80-mesh sieve to obtain fritillaria stalk powder for later use; b. Mix fritillaria cirrhosa straw powder with 70% food-grade ethanol at a mass ratio of 1:25, soak at 50℃ for 30 min, then sonicate at 450W for 40 min, filter, collect the filtrate, recover the filter residue, mix the filter residue with 70% food-grade ethanol at a mass ratio of 1:25, repeat twice, and combine the filtrates; c. Distill the collected filtrate under reduced pressure at 65℃ using a rotary evaporator until it becomes viscous; add 50 mL of ultrapure water to the collection bottle, sonicate for 5 min, and then collect all the liquid in the collection bottle; d. Transfer the liquid in the collection bottle to a glass container and pre-freeze at -20°C for 12 hours; e. After freeze-drying the pre-frozen liquid at -80℃ for 48 hours, fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract powder is obtained.

2. The use of the Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract according to claim 1 in improving sausage quality, characterized in that, The sausage comprises edible meat, which is pork; the pork comprises lean meat and fat meat, and the weight ratio of the fat meat to the lean meat is (1-5):(5-9).

3. The use of the Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract according to claim 1 or 2 in improving sausage quality, characterized in that, The method for preparing the sausage includes: Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract and a predetermined amount of pork are mixed and processed to obtain the sausage.

4. The use of the Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract according to claim 3 in improving sausage quality, characterized in that, The method for preparing the sausage includes: The mixed products are packed into sausage casings and then air-dried.

5. The use of the Fritillaria cirrhosa straw extract according to claim 4 in improving sausage quality, characterized in that, The method for preparing the sausage includes: Salt and / or sugar are added to the pork; the salt is added at a weight of 1% to 3% of the pork weight; and the sugar is added at a weight of 1% to 3% of the pork weight.

Images