Effects of hydroxyl radical oxidation on the stability and biochemical functions of rex rabbit meat

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating system in muscle food is an important factor as it greatly influences shelf life and quality of meat. In this study, whole muscle homogenate was used as the research object, and the Fenton reaction system as an inducer was established for analyzing the effect of oxidation on Chuanbai Rex and Hyla rabbits meat. The homogenates were exposed to varying concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mmol/L), the level of lipid oxidation of both breeds increased with the increased H2O2 concentration, while Hyla rabbits was higher. Oxidation and molecular aggregation of myofibrillar protein (MP) was observed in both breeds, including formation of carbonyl compounds, depleted sulphydryl, and increased hydrophobicity while fluorescence decreased. After oxidation, the loss of amino acids was higher in Hyla (16%) than in Rex rabbits (11%). Cys content was identified as the most discriminant parameter capable of elucidating the variations between the two breeds under this oxidation system.