Molecular mechanism of high-pressure processing for improving the quality of low-salt Eucheuma spinosum chicken breast batters.

To confirm the role of high-pressure processing in enhancing the quality of Eucheuma spinosum chicken breast batters, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to explore the effect of E. spinosum and high-pressure processing on water migration, protein conformation, and microstructure in chicken breast batters. The water-holding capacity, surface hydrophobicity, and reactive sulfhydryl group content significantly increased as the pressure increased (0.1 to 300 MPa), while the peak ratio of non-flowable water (T22) decreased (P > 0.05). The secondary structure composition changed significantly, and the β-sheet, β-turn, and random coil content significantly increased (P < 0.05) as the α-helix content decreased. The -OH stretching vibration (3,100 to 3,500 cm-1) was shifted to higher wavenumbers, and the number of hydrogen bonds in each water molecule increased. The scanning electron microscopy images reveal that proper pressure produced a dense network structure with small cavities. Moreover, these characteristics were further enhanced when E. spinosum was added from 0 to 0.4%. Overall, this paper could provide crucial theoretical support for the application of high-pressure processing of low-salt seaweed chicken breast.