Biotransformation of horse meat proteins by probiotic microorganisms to reduce allergenicity

Proteins may cause food allergies, the prevalence of which is growing worldwide. The intestinal microbiota takes an active part in stimulating and maintaining the functions of the body’s immune system by producing humoral factors: enzymes, cytokines, mediators involved in the development of the immune response. The study of microbial consortium effect, which has high enzymatic activity, on reducing the reactivity of the body’s immune response is of interest.   The aim of the work was to study the biotransformation of horse meat proteins based on the use of probiotic consortium to obtain hypoallergenic meat raw materials.   The object of the research was horse meat cooled for 24 hours at a temperature of 2 to 4 °С.   The control: untreated meat samples; test 1: horse meat treated with a starter culture of one strain of Lactobacillus paracasei k-406; test 2: horse meat treated with a combined starter culture of four strains of Lactobacillus (Lactobacillus curvatus LCR-111–1, Lactobacillus plantarum 8RAZ, Lactobacillus fermentum 44/1 and Lactobacillus paracasei k-406). The microbial consortium was selected taking into account its biological compatibility and biotechnological potential, in particular, proteolytic activity. The degree of hydrolysis, technological parameters, fiber microstructure and the level of sensitization were determined. High proteolytic activity of the microbial consortium used for horse meat treatment was noted compared to the sample treated with a single-strain culture. Thus, the degree of hydrolysis after three days increased 4 times compared to the original raw material, which contributed to an increase in the hydrophilicity of the meat system by 11.8 % and a decrease in the shear strength by 13.1 % compared to the control (unfermented horse meat). Probiotic consortium caused a proteolytic modification of horse meat proteins, resulting in a decrease in the level of antigenic epitopes, which contributed to a decrease in the sensitizing activity of meat raw materials. This indicates the prospects for using such raw materials in the production of hypoallergenic meat products.