A comprehensive study on the color preservation mechanism of isoquercitrin in meat-based food systems

Meat color is the most intuitive indicator for consumers to judge meat freshness, which mainly depends on myoglobin (Mb). In order to explore the effect of isoquercetin on meat color preservation and its mechanism, this study mainly carried out systematic research through in vitro experiments, multi-spectral technology, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. This study found that isoquercetin has a good protective effect on meat color. And isoquercetin has a static quenching effect on Mb. In addition, after forming a stable complex through hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces, isoquercetin changed the secondary structure of Mb, resulting in a decrease in surface hydrophobicity by 9.67 % and a decrease in solubility by 27 %. Molecular dynamics and molecular docking experiments further confirmed the interaction between the two. This study confirmed that isoquercitrin can stabilize meat color through a variety of mechanisms, providing a theoretical basis for its application in meat processing.