Enzymatic Tenderization of Garden Snail Meat (Cornu aspersum aspersum) Using Plant Cysteine Proteases

This study examined the impact of enzymatic tenderization on Cornu aspersum aspersum snail meat using mechanical texture analysis, SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) protein profiling, and sensory evaluation. Samples were treated with papain (0.05–0.1%), bromelain (0.05–0.1%), or 10–25% ginger extract containing zingibain and subsequently hydrothermally processed. All enzymatic treatments significantly reduced shear force compared with the control (p < 0.05). The lowest connective tissue resistance (S1) was observed for 0.1% bromelain (14.1 N) and 10% ginger extract (19.0 N), versus >21 N in untreated samples. SDS-PAGE revealed that bromelain caused extensive degradation of high-molecular-weight proteins (>90 kDa), whereas papain induced moderate myofibrillar proteolysis. Higher concentrations of bromelain (0.1%) and ginger extract (25%) resulted in excessive softening and structural disintegration, leading to sensory disqualification. Sensory evaluation showed that moderate enzyme concentrations significantly improved overall acceptability (p < 0.05). Samples treated with 10% ginger extract achieved the highest overall sensory score (4.6/5), exceeding the control (3.9) and papain- or bromelain-treated samples (4.1–4.2). In conclusion, although bromelain exhibited the strongest proteolytic activity, a 10% ginger extract was identified as the optimal treatment, providing effective tenderization while preserving structural integrity and sensory quality.