Effect of Flos Sophorae Immaturus extract on the formation of heterocyclic amines and quality characteristics of fried chicken patties

Flos Sophorae Immaturus extract (FSIE) is rich in flavonoids and phenolics. The effects of various concentrations (0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 g/100 g of meat) of FSIE on the quality and heterocyclic amine (HCA) formation of chicken patties fried at 170 °C and 190 °C were investigated for the first time. The total HCA content of chicken patties fried at 190 °C (7.23–13.73 ng/g) was remarkably higher than that of patties fried at 170 °C (2.34–2.57 ng/g). It is noteworthy that most HCAs formed on the surface of the patties. FSIE at 0.2–0.6 g/100 g significantly reduced the formation of HCAs in chicken patties fried at 190 °C by 27.09%–47.34%, which may be related to the enhanced total phenolics, total flavonoids, and antioxidant activities of FSIE after heating. With the addition of FSIE, the L ∗ and a ∗ values of meat patties decreased and b ∗ values increased. However, the addition of FSIE to chicken did not negatively affect the sensory attributes of fried chicken patties. Also, FSIE somewhat reduced the TBARS and carbonyl values of fried chicken patties. Correlation analysis revealed that the protein carbonyl value of meat patties was significantly and positively correlated with the total HCA formation (r = 0.90, p  < 0.01). These results provide evidence that the addition of FSIE to high-temperature fried products, especially on the product surface or in the frying medium, can effectively reduce the formation of hazardous HCAs.