4-oxo-2-nonenal (4-ONE) induced degradation of bovine skeletal muscle proteins

Authors: KLEIN, LOREN - University Of Georgia; PHILLIPS, DENNIS - University Of Georgia; KONG, FANBIN - University Of Georgia; Bowker, Brian; MOHAN, ANAND - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/13/2022
Publication Date: 9/21/2022
Citation: Klein, L., Phillips, D., Kong, F., Bowker, B.C., Mohan, A. 2022. 4-oxo-2-nonenal (4-ONE) induced degradation of bovine skeletal muscle proteins. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.2c05550.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.2c05550

Interpretive Summary: During storage, lipid oxidation in meat products can produce reactive by-products such as 4-oxo-2-nonenal (4-ONE). The impact of 4-ONE on muscle proteins was previously unknown. This study demonstrated that 4-ONE can cause muscle protein degradation in beef during storage and suggests that 4-ONE may have a negative impact on the nutritional quality of meat.

Technical Abstract: Lipids are an important component of meat as they provide desirable sensory characteristics and nutritional benefits. However, lipids are susceptible to degradation through oxidation and produce toxic oxidative by-products. 4-oxo-2-nonenal (4-ONE) is an oxidative by-product that is highly reactive and cytotoxic. In this study, we investigated the influence of 4-ONE induced protein degradation on fresh and gastric digested bovine skeletal muscle proteins. Additionally, we developed an LC-MS/MS-based method to detect 4-ONE in meat samples. Results indicated that 4-ONE naturally forms in fresh muscle proteins. We report here for the first time that 4-ONE causes severe degradation of bovine skeletal muscle proteins. The SDS-PAGE gel showed evidence that the skeletal muscle proteins attenuated over the incubation time, as the density of the protein bands faded significantly after 120 hours. Additionally, the LC-MS/MS proteomic analysis and band density analysis showed a significant decrease in protein abundance and band densities throughout the incubation time. This study revealed that the lipid oxidation by-product, 4-oxo-2-nonenal (4-ONE) is responsible for causing skeletal muscle protein degradation. Future studies should assess the bioprotective role of endogenous enzymes, antioxidants, and other food ingredients for their potential to prevent the formation and/or detoxification of 4-ONE in meat.