A New Strategy for Reducing Fat Absorption and Enhancing Oxidative Stability in Fried Chicken Meatball Using Nanofiber Coatings

Abstract

In this study, chicken meatballs were prepared and subsequently coated with zein-based electrospun nanofibers containing food-grade bioactive substances such as flaxseed oil (F), gallic acid (G), and curcumin (C) and the effects of nanofiber coatings on the qualitative properties of deep-fried chicken meatballs were investigated. It was determined that uniform nanofibers with diameters ranging from 134 to 338 nm were produced. The NFC group (Zein + flaxseed oil + curcumin) exhibited the lowest oil absorption with 1.21 % oil intake, indicating a decrease of approximately 76 % in oil absorption compared to the uncoated control group (K) (5.03 %). The ZNFCG group (zein + flaxseed oil + curcumin + gallic acid) and ZNFG group (zein + flaxseed oil + gallic acid) showed the lowest thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBA) values with 0.24 mg malondialdehyde (MDA)/kg and 0.28 mg MDA/kg, respectively, indicating a synergistic antioxidant effect. The ZNFCG group also had the lowest carbonyl content (1.75 nmol/mg protein), a measure of protein oxidation. This formulation successfully reduced protein oxidation compared to the control group (3.64 nmol/mg protein). According to these results, zein-based nanofiber coating containing bioactive compounds significantly reduced oxidative damage and oil absorption, making them a promising strategy for improving the quality of fried meat products.