This study aimed to determine the effect of enzyme, guar gum, and pressure
processing on the digestibility and physicochemical properties of age-friendly
liver sausages. Liver sausages were manufactured by adding proteolytic enzyme
(Bromelain) and guar gum, and pressure-cooking (0.06 MPa), with the following
treatments: control, without proteolytic enzyme; T1, proteolytic enzyme; T2,
proteolytic enzyme and guar gum; T3, pressure-cooking; T4, proteolytic enzyme
and pressure-cooking; T5, proteolytic enzyme, guar gum, and pressure-cooking.
The pH was high in the enzyme- and pressure-processed groups. The
pressure-processed groups had lower apparent viscosity than other cooking
groups, and it decreased during enzyme treatment. Hardness was lower in the
enzyme- and pressure-processed groups than in the control, and the T4 was the
lowest. Digestibility was the highest in T4 at 82.58%, and there was no
significant difference with that in T5. The general cooking group with enzyme
and guar gum also showed higher digestibility than the control (77.50%).
As a result of the sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis,
the enzyme- and pressure-treated groups (T4, T5) were degraded more into
low-molecular-weight peptides (≤37 kDa) than the control and other
treatments. Viscoelasticity showed similar trends for viscous and elastic
moduli. Similarly, combined pressure processing and enzymatic treatment
decreased viscoelasticity, while guar gum increased elasticity but decreased
viscosity. Therefore, the tenderized physical properties and improved
digestibility by enzyme and pressurization treatment could be used to produce
age-friendly spreadable liver sausages.