ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the proteolysis phenomena involving muscle and microbial proteases and their resulting products, and the latest proteomic tools available for the study of proteolysis in dry-cured meats. Different empirical and in silico approaches have also been used to identify naturally generated bioactive peptides in dry-cured ham. Dry-cured meats are characterized by a typical flavor, color, and texture that make them a high-quality product that has been consumed for centuries in many countries. The processing of such types of dry-cured meats is very long, lasting a few months for dry-fermented sausages or several months or even years in the case of dry-cured ham. The techniques have been used to study proteolysis and to separate and identify the proteins and major generated fragments from complex mixtures like those found in dry-cured meats as well as the analysis of free amino acids after their derivatization.
