Application of antimicrobial peptide Mytichitin‐A in pork preservation during refrigerated storage

Abstract

Antimicrobial peptide Mytichitin‐A has been expressed in large quantities in Pichia pastoris and has good antibacterial activity against Gram‐positive bacteria. To explore its potential as a food preservative in a pork system, the activity of P. pastoris‐derived Mytichitin‐A against Pseudomonas spp., one of dominant spoilage flora in meat products, was first conducted. Results showed that Mytichitin‐A effectively inhibited the growth of both P. fluorescens and P. tolaasii. Moreover, it exhibited a broad range of pH and thermal stability, was resistant to various protease digestion and amino acid interferences, and had very low hemolytic activity. Importantly, 25 μg/ml Mytichitin‐A could effectively inhibit the bacterial growth, the increase of drip loss, pH value, lipid oxidation, and total volatile alkaline nitrogen during pork storage. Thus, it was conducive to the maintenance of pork quality. These results suggested that P. pastoris‐derived Mytichitin‐A has excellent potential as a preservative for fresh pork. Practical applications This research reveals that Mytichitin‐A has a great potential for the fresh pork preservation during storage and could conducive to the maintenance of pork quality. The completion of this study also contributes to the development of novel preservation method to maintain meat quality in the future.