Proteolysis of dry-cured ham according to the type and temperature of starter mixed with Debaryomyces hansenii and Penicillium nalgiovense

This study analyzed the impact of yeast and mold on the proteolysis of dry-cured ham protein. Debaryomyces hansenii, isolated from Doenjang (DJ) and fermented sausage (FS), was used as a starter in the preparation. The experiment involved three repetitions, using 10 gluteus medius muscles each in the 2, 4, and 6-week aging periods. It assessed the following parameters: aging yield, moisture and crude protein content, pH, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) profile, non-protein nitrogen (NPN) content, shear force, and in-vitro digestibility. SDS-PAGE analysis reve protein aled that proteolysis occurred as the aging period increased, and the treatment groups DJ25, FS25, and DF25 displayed thicker bands at 25 kDa than the treatment groups DJ20, FS20, and DF20. The NPN tended to increase as the aging period increased, and treatment groups consistently exhibited higher NPN levels than the control at the same aging temperature. The shear force DJ25, FS25, and DF25 tended to have lower shear force values than the other treatments in the final week. The in-vitro digestion profile showed an increased digestion rate of pepsin and trypsin as the aging period increased. DJ25, FS25, and DF25 exhibited significantly higher pepsin and trypsin digestion rates than DJ20, FS20, and DF20 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the findings indicate that aging dry-cured ham at 25 °C yields higher proteolysis, lower shear force, and higher digestion rates, suggesting that such a process would result in enhanced consumer preference and superior product quality.