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Hispidalin is a novel antimicrobial peptide and has been largely produced in Pichia pastoris. Considering P. pastoris‐derived Hispidalin has high antimicrobial activity and stability against various conditions, we aim to investigate its potential as a food preservative in pork meat model. Results showed that P. pastoris‐derived Hispidalin had good antioxidant activity and could scavenge against 2,2′‐azinobis‐(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonate) radicals, superoxide anions, 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl radicals, and hydroxyl radicals. Importantly, P. pastoris‐derived Hispidalin effectively suppressed bacterial growth and prevented food spoilage in a pork system during storage at 4ºC. Treatment with the concentration of 100 μg/ml significantly decreased the increase of pH value, drip loss, total volatile basic nitrogen, and lipid oxidation during storage, and it also maintained the best sensory characteristics and cell structure in pork. These results demonstrate the great potential of Hispidalin as a preservative to extend the shelf life of pork. Practical applications This research shows that the addition of the novel antimicrobial peptide, Hispidalin, to a meat system could provide an added antibacterial advantage to tray‐packaged chilled pork and deliver an important contribution to maintain pork quality. The findings revealed that Hispidalin is a potential preservative to be developed and utilized during pork storage. This work may also help the development of novel combination systems to better preserve meat quality in the future.

Antimicrobial peptide Mytichitin-A has been expressed in large quantities in Pichia pastoris and has good antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. To explore its potential as a food preservative in a pork system, the activity of P. pastoris-derived Mytichitin-A against Pseudomonas spp., one of dominant spoilage flora in meat products, was first conducted. Results showed that Mytichitin-A effectively inhibited the growth of both P. fluorescens and P. tolaasii. Moreover, it exhibited a broad range of pH and thermal stability, was resistant to various protease digestion and amino acid interferences, and had very low hemolytic activity. Importantly, 25 μg/ml Mytichitin-A could effectively inhibit the bacterial growth, the increase of drip loss, pH value, lipid oxidation, and total volatile alkaline nitrogen during pork storage. Thus, it was conducive to the maintenance of pork quality. These results suggested that P. pastorisderived Mytichitin-A has excellent potential as a preservative for fresh pork. Practical applicationsThis research reveals that Mytichitin-A has a great potential for the fresh pork preservation during storage and could conducive to the maintenance of pork quality. The completion of this study also contributes to the development of novel preservation method to maintain meat quality in the future. How to cite this article: Meng D-M, Yang X-M, Sun X-Q, Cheng L, Fan Z-C. Application of antimicrobial peptide Mytichitin-A in pork preservation during refrigerated storage. J