Evaluation of meat-quality and myofibrillar protein of chicken drumsticks treated with plasma-activated lactic acid as a novel sanitizer

Plasma-activated lactic acid (PALA) was assessed as a novel sanitizer to improve the microbiological safety of fresh chicken. Three-hundred mL of 0–0.20% (v/v) lactic acid (LA) was treated with a plasma jet for 40–100 s using air as the plasma-forming gas, with subsequent application to chicken drumsticks. The main property (pH, NO2−, and total reactive species) of PALA and quality attributes (microorganism, surface color, pH, lipid oxidation, and odor) of drumsticks were analyzed. Meanwhile, SDS-PAGE, circular dichroism (CD), particle size, laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) were used to investigate the effect of PALA on myofibrillar proteins. The date indicated that PALA-treated samples were stored for 4 days longer than those after sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) treatment. No significant changes in L* and b* values were found in PALA-treated chicken drumsticks, on the other hand, the residual nitrite content increased whereas a* value, pH value, and the malondialdehyde content decreased. The electronic nose experiment suggested that PALA could improve the negative effect on odors; SDS-PAGE, CD, particle size, and LSCM images indicated that PALA could improve the aggregation of myofibrillar proteins compared to NaClO treatment. Thus, PALA treatment has a potential application to decontaminate fresh chicken.