Preservative effects of composite biopreservatives on goat meat during chilled storage: Insights into meat quality, high-throughput sequencing and molecular docking

To investigate the preservative effect of composite biopreservatives on goat meat during chilled storage, three biopreservatives (chitosan, tea polyphenols and grape seed extract) were selected. Meat samples were soaked in composite biopreservatives at previously optimized concentrations, prior to storage at 4 °C for 12 days. Meat quality parameters including pH, TBARS, TVB-N, color, sensory index and total viable count were evaluated. 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing combined with bioinformatics was used to assess the changes in the bacterial community, while molecular docking permitted the investigation of molecular interaction between gyrase, catechins, and anthocyanins. Treatment by composite biopreservatives contributed to the stability and maintenance of meat quality, notably by significantly reducing TBARS and maintaining meat color and sensory scores. Pseudomonadales, Bacillales and Flavobacteriales were effectively inhibited as the main spoilage bacteria in goat meat during chilled storage. Molecular docking revealed that catechins and anthocyanins could bind to DNA gyrase by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions, thus inhibiting DNA synthesis and bacterial growth. Hence, the composite biopreseratives exerted a preservative impact on the chilled goat meat.