4. Conclusions
Frozen BCE, with higher anthocyanin content, stronger reducing
power and stronger DPPH• and ABTS•+ scavenging activities, could
be extracted with 40% ethanol in water for 2 h. In situ testing confirmed
BCE to be a highly effective antioxidant in raw pork patties
because it inhibited both lipid and protein oxidation and stabilised
the red colour during refrigerated storage. These data strongly suggest
that frozen BCE has potential as a natural antioxidant source
for meat and meat product quality preservation. Further research is
needed to identify the specific and main phenolic compounds in
frozen BCE that are responsible for the overall antioxidative capability
in muscle foods.