{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T15:03:52Z","timestamp":1787238232113,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,8]],"date-time":"2025-03-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1741392000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004281","name":"National Science Centre, Poland","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2022\/45\/B\/NZ9\/01840"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022\/45\/B\/NZ9\/01840"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004281","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>L-arginine is a substrate for nitric oxide synthase, which, in its optimal conditions in a living organism, generates nitric oxide. In this presented research, we test the hypothesis that nitric oxide can be produced in a solution in which L-arginine, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and meat are present. We evaluate the effect of L-arginine concentration (0.0%\/0.1%\/0.2%), temperature (20\/37 \u00b0C), and incubation time (1 h\/2 h) on meat color. Nitrite, L-arginine, and citrulline concentrations are analyzed, as well as the UV-Vis and Raman spectra of meat extracts and meat, respectively. The results indicate that there is very weak evidence that at a pH level closer to the enzyme\u2019s optimum, slightly higher concentrations of nitrite can be found. The decrease in L-arginine concentration after incubation of an enzyme with meat in water suggests enzyme activity. The UV-Vis and Raman spectra do not support the generation of nitroso myoglobin. Meat color analysis showed lower a* coordinate values in samples incubated with nitric oxide synthase compared to their analogs without the enzyme. The results indicate that in given conditions, nitric oxide synthase cannot be used as a nitrite replacer.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules30061215","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,10]],"date-time":"2025-03-10T05:46:52Z","timestamp":1741585612000},"page":"1215","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Evaluation of NO Synthase Activity in Meat-Brining Solutions: Implications for Meat Curing and Color Stability"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"30","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4077-0873","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marzena","family":"Zaj\u0105c","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Product Technology, Faculty of Food Technology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Balicka 122, 30-149 Krak\u00f3w, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rafa\u0142","family":"Szram","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Product Technology, Faculty of Food Technology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Balicka 122, 30-149 Krak\u00f3w, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108272","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meatsci.2020.108272","article-title":"Chemistry, safety, and regulatory considerations in the use of nitrite and nitrate from natural origin in meat products\u2014Invited review","volume":"171","author":"Flores","year":"2021","journal-title":"Meat Sci."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101183","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cofs.2024.101183","article-title":"Sensory quality and consumer perception of reduced\/free-from nitrates\/nitrites cured meats","volume":"58","author":"Melios","year":"2024","journal-title":"Curr. 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