Effect of low-dose sodium nitrite treatment on the endogenous antioxidant capacity of yak meat during wet curing: Pros and cons

Abstract

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the effects of sodium nitrite treatment on antioxidant enzyme activity and free radical changes in yak meat during wet curing. The effect on superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS, TNOS) activity; superoxide anion (O2−) content and production rate; hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content; nitric oxide (NO) content; and meat hydroxyl radical ( OH) inhibition ability were determined. The results showed that NaNO2 treatment effectively increased the activity of CAT, GSH-Px, and NOS (TNOS, iNOS) over the first 3, 5, and 7 days (P\xa0 OH first increased and then decreased, and the NO content in meat increased (P