This study aimed to evaluate the prevention of lipid oxidation in jerked beef through the use of natural antioxidant substances and the synthetic antioxidant BHT. It was used spare ribs from Holstein cattle to elaborate the jerked beef pieces. The treatments were: Control (no addition of antioxidant), Tocopherol (addition of 0,03 %), Phycocyanin (addition of 0,5 %), BHT (addition of 0,01 %), Tocopherol and Ascorbic acid (addition of 0,03 % of each one), and each treatment had five slabs of jerked beef. The percentages of antioxidants added were according to the lipid content of the raw material. After preparation, zero time, the slabs were stored for 60 days at room temperature, 25 °C. Representative samples were taken for the analysis of lipid oxidation by way of the peroxide value (PV) and 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). The antioxidants attenuated the lipid oxidation of jerked beef and, among the natural antioxidants which were tested, Phycocyanin showed the highest inhibition of peroxide formation. The antioxidant α-tocopherol presented a better efficiency when used synergistically with ascorbic acid. The TBARS results indicated that BHT showed the highest inhibition and, among the natural antioxidants tested, the mixture of ascorbic acid with tocopherol was more efficient. The use of natural antioxidants may become an alternative in delaying lipid oxidation in jerked beef and similar products.
lipid peroxidation; dried meat; oxidative rancidity
