Lipid Oxidation in Cooked Turkey as Affected by Added Antioxidant Enzymes

Catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) were added to turkey which had been cooked (80°C) to provide minimal activity of both enzymes, to determine their effects in development of lipid oxidation. CAT (100–500 U/g muscle) decreased the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) 4–28% during 2 days of storage. GSH‐Px (4.0 U/g muscle) decreased TBARS 8–11%. CAT (170 U/g muscle) and GSH‐Px (1.3 U/g muscle) in combination decreased TBARS formation 7–14%. Reduced glutathione concentrations in the turkey were unaffected by cooking. These data suggest that heat inactivation of CAT and GSH‐Px was not the only factor involved in heat‐induced lipid oxidation reactions in turkey thigh muscle.