How nisin interacts with glutathione in meat
What it found
Nisin loses its activity faster in raw meat than in cooked meat because it reacts with glutathione.
This reaction happens without enzymes, and cooking reduces the available glutathione by binding it to proteins.
What they found
Reaction confirmed in meat
The researchers confirmed that nisin forms a combined product with glutathione in meat. This chemical reaction is not driven by enzymes naturally found in the meat.
Cooking preserves nisin activity
Cooked meat keeps nisin active longer than raw meat does. Cooking causes glutathione to react with other proteins instead, leaving less free glutathione available to react with nisin.
Microbial enzymes not involved
Bacterial enzymes do not seem to cause the loss of nisin activity. Raw and cooked meat extracts showed similar losses even when no microorganisms could be detected.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that the loss of nisin activity in meat comes from a direct chemical reaction with glutathione rather than from enzyme action.
- Their findings show that cooking meat helps preserve nisin activity by reducing the amount of free glutathione available to react with it.
How it was done
Scientists wanted to understand why nisin stops working more quickly in raw meat compared to cooked meat. Earlier ideas suggested that enzymes in the meat caused this loss of activity.
Researchers looked at how nisin reacts with glutathione in a model protein system and in actual meat. They compared what happened in raw meat, cooked meat, and extracts from both types of meat.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work was done in meat samples and test systems, so it does not measure health effects in people or animals.
- It cannot tell us whether eating nisin in food has any impact on human health.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Surrey, United Kingdom
The paper
- Title
- Interactions of nisin with glutathione in a model protein system and meat
- Type
- Study
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Stergiou VA, Thomas LV, Adams MR (2006). Interactions of nisin with glutathione in a model protein system and meat. Journal of food protection. doi:10.4315/0362-028x-69.4.951PubMed 16629047DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error