Imidazole dipeptides in meat from different animal species and effect of cooking method on their contents in beef and turkey meat

CHAPTER POINTS • This study summarizes the content of two papers on imidazole dipeptide content in meat from different animal species and the effect of cooking method in beef and turkey meat. • Total imidazole dipeptide content was in decreasing order: turkey > chicken > horse > pork > rabbit > beef. • Boiling beef caused a 50% loss in carnosine; cooking by microwave/grill led to a reduction in carnosine of 10%. • The greatest loss of anserine and homocarnosine content in beef meat was observed for the boiling method (70%). • In turkey meat, the lowest decreases in carnosine, anserine and homocarnosine content were observed for microwave/grilling and for broiling at high temperature. • This research has found some indications about preparation methods that could guarantee low carnosine and homologue degradation. • Freeze-dried samples of meat of beef (fillet), horse (fillet), pork (loin), chicken (breast), turkey (breast) and rabbit (hind leg) were analyzed to determine their imidazole dipeptide contents. • Beef and turkey meat were prepared by commonly used cooking methods and then frozen in liquid nitrogen, freeze-dried and stored at − 20°C until analyzed. • Carnosine, anserine and homocarnosine were identified in the meat on the basis of the preliminary separation/fragmentation study and quantified using calibration curves obtained from the standard carnosine. • The multistage mass spectrometry study using the Orbitrap technology allowed us to clarify that homocarnosine is a homohistidine derivative.