Plasmalogens in pork: aldehyde composition and changes in aldehyde profile during refrigerated storage of raw and cooked meat

Phospholipids from raw and cooked m. Longissimus dorsi from lean and fatty pigs, after 10 days of refrigerated storage at +4 °C, were analyzed for fatty acid and fatty aldehyde profiles. After refrigerated storage of raw meat, the hexadecanal proportion significantly declined (P<0.05) while octadecanal and octadecenal proportions increased. In m. Longissimus dorsi from lean pigs, percentages of saturated fatty acids (SFA) decreased while the proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) concomitantly increased (P<0.05). The ratio dimethyl acetals/fatty acids from phospholipids (DMA/FA) significantly increased (P<0.05) after 10 days of refrigerated storage, being significantly higher in m. Longissimus dorsi from lean pigs. The proportions of different aldehydes did not vary after refrigeration of cooked meat, while percentages of PUFA significantly decreased and those from SFA concomitantly increased in both groups (P<0.05). The ratio DMA/FA, in cooked samples, significantly decreased (P<0.001) and this change was larger in m. Longissimus dorsi from lean pigs (P<0.05).