Impact of Pediococcus pentosaceus containing multicopper oxidase gene on biogenic amine accumulation and quality of Xinjiang sausage during ripening

Abstract

Herein, we investigated the impact of Pediococcus pentosaceus containing the multicopper oxidase (MCO) gene on fundamental physical and chemical parameters, biogenic amines (BAs) accumulation, MCO gene expression levels, and the quality of Xinjiang sausage. Our findings revealed that the introduction of Pediococcus pentosaceus altered the predominant microbial composition in the sausage, establishing itself as the dominant species during the fermentation process. Moreover, Pediococcus pentosaceus demonstrated the ability to suppress the accumulation of BAs in the sausage by inhibiting the growth of Enterobacteria and upregulating the expression of the MCO gene. Additionally, the incorporation of Pediococcus pentosaceus facilitated the degradation of protein in the sausage, resulting in an increased content of free amino acids, and also increased the appearance, color, texture and overall acceptability scores of sausages. Overall, our results highlight the potential of Pediococcus pentosaceus containing MCO gene in reducing BAs accumulation and improving the sensory quality of Xinjiang sausage.