Formation of endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid-like compounds in sausages: Effect of fermentation, heat treatment and storage

Abstract

The endocannabinoid system plays a crucial role in appetite regulation and controlling energy balance. This study investigated the quantity and profile of endocannabinoids (ECs) and endocannabinoid-like (ECL) compounds in commercial fermented and heat-treated sausages. Furthermore, the effects of fermentation, drying/ripening, and heat treatment on the formation and degradation of these compounds were evaluated during the production of laboratory-scale fermented sausages. Sausages were found to be rich in linoleoylethanolamide, linoleoylphenylalanine, and 2-oleoylglycerol among N-acylethanolamines (NAEs), N-acylamino acids and 2-monoacylglycerols (2-MAGs), respectively. Although there was no observable difference between commercial fermented and heat-treated sausage samples in terms of their processing, significant changes were found in laboratory-scale sausages. According to the results, fermentation increased the formation of N-acylamino acids and 2-MAGs in laboratory-scale sausages. On the other hand, heat treatment led to an increase in NAEs, whereas it caused a decrease in 2-MAGs in heat-treated sausages produced in the laboratory. Ripening/drying process in laboratory-scale sausage production was generally not effective in inducing changes in ECs and ECL compounds. During the storage of fermented sausages, the concentrations of N-acylamino acids significantly increased, while 2-MAGs were adversely affected. Thus, cumulative dietary intake of ECs/ECL compounds from sausages may modulate energy balance via appetite-regulating pathways. Overall, this study offers insight into how processing methods affect the profile and amounts of ECs and ECL compounds in sausages.

Keywords: Drying; Fermentation; Heating; Monoacylglycerols; N-acylamino acids; N-acylethanolamines; Sausage.