Effects of Different Concentrations of Eugenol on the Structure and Emulsion Gel Properties of Myofibrillar Protein

To explore the effect of eugenol addition on the gel properties of myofibrillar protein emulsions, this study used porcine myofibrillar protein as the research object and simulated the processing of emulsified sausages. The effects of eugenol concentration (0, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 mg/g protein) on the protein secondary structure, gel strength, water retention, water distribution, rheology, and microstructure were determined to investigate the effect of eugenol on protein gel formation. The results showed that the addition of low-concentration eugenol (20 mg/g) significantly improved the gel strength and water retention rate of the protein (P © The Author(s) 2025.