Label-free proteomic strategy to identify proteins associated with quality properties in sauced beef processing

In order to better understand the mechanisms of quality changes throughout the sauced beef process, amino acids, color, texture, flavor, digestibility, and proteome changes were investigated. Hierarchical cluster analysis and pairwise comparisons were performed to observe the effect of processing craft on proteomes by using a label-free mass spectrometry methodology. GO enrichment analysis indicated that knead-salting craft mainly affects the structure and interaction of proteins, stewing craft mainly affects the protein structure and metabolic enzyme, sterilizing craft mainly affects the protein turnover and metabolic enzyme. Meanwhile, these craft significantly affected the degradation of proteins, amino acids and fatty acids as indicated by KEGG enrichment analysis. Correlation analyses between differential abundance proteins and quality properties showed that 11 proteins were correlated closely with quality properties. Furthermore, the label-free approach used in this study proved to be a reliable method influencing identifying pivotal proteins for quality characteristics of sauced beef.