Physical field-assisted plant polyphenol marination: A comprehensive strategy for simultaneous inhibition of advanced glycation end products and heterocyclic amines in roast steak with maintained quality attributes

Meat products are an integral part of people's daily diets, but high-temperature roasting and drying processes can produce advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and heterocyclic amines (HAs), the excessive accumulation of which is detrimental to human health. The synergistic effects of six plant polyphenols (epicatechin, curcumin, resveratrol, rosmarinic acid, hesperetin and kaempferol) in combination with three physical fields (ultrasound, electrostatic field, and pulsating vacuum tumbling) on the AGEs and HAs formation in roast steak, as well as their impact on meat quality, were investigated. It was found that plant polyphenols–physical fields inhibited the AGEs and HAs formation more effectively than plant polyphenols alone. In particular, the epicatechin–ultrasound (EC-US) treatment overall inhibited the AGEs and HAs formation up to 69.8 %, while maintaining optimal water-holding capacity. Besides, this combined marination method had the least impact on the color and browning of the roast steak and produced the most volatile flavor compounds types (24 in total). Although levels of certain volatile compounds (alcohols, aldehydes, furans, and pyrazines) decreased, the EC-US treatment introduced unique flavor contributors such as estragole and trans-cinnamaldehyde, enhancing he overall sensory experience. Sensory evaluation results further confirmed that the plant polyphenols–physical fields treatment enhanced the tenderness and juiciness of roast steak. The correlation analysis between consumer palatability scores and volatile compounds indicated a strong association between consumer acceptance and the presence of characteristic volatile components. These results provide new perspectives and strategies for the development of healthier and safer meat processing technologies.