Tenderisation of spent hen meat using ginger extract.

1. The purpose of this work was to study the effect of ginger extract (GE) on tenderness of spent hen meat. 2. Spent hen meat chunks at either the pre- or post-chilled stage were marinated with different concentrations (0%, 1%, 3% and 5% v/w) of GE and were evaluated after 24 h of treatment. 3. GE treatment increased the pH, moisture, cooking yield, total pigments, water holding capacity, collagen solubility, protein extractability, muscle fibre diameter and decreased the shear force values. 4. The electrophoretic pattern of muscle proteins revealed extensive proteolysis and reduction in number of protein bands in GE treated samples. 5. Tenderness scores were higher in samples treated at post-chilled stage. Of the different concentrations of GE examined, 3% was found optimum for tenderisation.