Inhibitory effects of hydrocolloids on protein-bound heterocyclic aromatic amine formation in fried chicken drumsticks and chemical model system: Insights from molecular docking analysis

Abstract

This study evaluated the inhibitory effects of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na), κ-carrageenan (CAR), and curdlan gum (CUG) on protein-bound heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) formation in fried chicken drumsticks and chemical model systems. The CMC-Na, CAR, and CUG markedly decreased protein-bound HAAs in fried chicken drumsticks, while CMC-Na inhibited Norharman, AαC, and Trp-P-1 but elevated Harman in chemical model systems (P < 0.05). The CMC-Na promoted α-helix, β-sheet, disulfide bonds, and hydrogen bonding while reducing β-turns, hydrophobic interactions, and surface hydrophobicity. Inhibition mechanism suggested that the interaction between CMC-Na and starch led to a compact crust with a tighter and less porous surface, suppressing oil migration and oxidation, thus preventing protein-bound HAAs accumulation. Moreover, CMC-Na exhibited competitive binding with glucose, tryptophan, acrolein, and Norharman to collagen, particularly with acrolein, limiting their availability for protein-bound HAAs formation. These findings highlight the potential of hydrocolloids in mitigating HAAs risks in fried meat.

Keywords: Acrolein; Fried chicken drumsticks; Hydrocolloids; Molecular docking; Protein-bound heterocyclic aromatic amines.