Forty different sample preparation methods were tested to obtain the most informative MALDI-TOF MS protein profiles of pork meat. Extraction by 25% formic acid with the assistance of zirconia-silica beads followed by defatting by methanol:chloroform mixture (1:1, v/v) and deposition by using the layer-by-layer method was determined as the optimum sample preparation protocol. The discriminatory power of the method was then examined on samples of pork meat and meat products. The method was able to discriminate between selected salami based on the production method and brand and was able to monitor the ripening process in salami. However, it was not able to differentiate between different brands of pork ham or closely located parts of pork meat. In the latter case, a more comprehensive analysis using LC-MS/MS was used to assess the differences in protein abundance and their relation to the outputs of MALDI - TOF MS profiling.

Masaryk University Central European Institute of Technology Kamenice 5 625 00 Brno Czech Republic

Masaryk University Central European Institute of Technology Kamenice 5 625 00 Brno Czech Republic; Masaryk University Faculty of Science National Centre for Biomolecular Research Kamenice 5 625 00 Brno Czech Republic

University of Veterinary Sciences Brno Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology Palackého tř 1946 1 612 42 Brno Czech Republic

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