Meat Tenderization through Plant Proteases- A Mini Review

The tenderness and quality of meat is very concerning for meat consumers. Meat tenderness relies on connective tissue, and muscle proteolytic ability. The use of various chemical tenders is the subject of the majority of research studies on the meat tenderness. However, there are certain drawbacks of these chemical tenders on one or the other sensory characteristics of meat. Few natural tenderizers may be used to counteract these adverse effects of chemical goods. Natural tenderizers are certain vegetables and fruits containing proteolytic enzymes that are responsible for rough meat tenderization. The use of exogenous proteases to enhance the tenderness of meat received tremendous interest in order to consistently produce meat tenderness as well as add value to low-grade cuts. The overview elaborates the sources, characteristics, and uses of plant proteases for the tenderization of meat. Furthermore, it highlights the impact of plant protease on the meat quality and effect on the meat proteins. Plant enzymes (including papain, ficin and bromelain) have been thoroughly studied as tenderizers for meat. The efficient use of such enzymes in raw meat calls for the determination of their enzyme kinetics and features and an understanding of the effect of the meat surrounding ambient (pH, temperature) conditions upon enzyme function. This allows for the creation of optimum conditions for tendering fresh meat and the removal or mitigation of any harmful effects on other quality characteristics.