摘要:Lipolysis is a complex biochemical process of lipids breakdown to free fatty acids by endogenous and partly exogenous (enzymes of microorganisms) enzymes action in intramuscular and adipose tissues during the dry-cured ham processing. Lipolysis in the intramuscular tissuesis quite different from lipolysis in the adipose tissues owing to differences in lipid and enzyme composition, respectively. Triglycerides and phospholipids compose intramuscular lipids so that lipolysis starts with their hydrolysis. Hydrolysis of triglycerides fl ow over the di- and mono-acylglycerols to free fatty acids and hydrolysis of phospholipid fl ow directly to free fatty acids. Adipose tissues lipids (intramuscular and subcutaneous tissues) are mostly composed of triglycerides so that lipolysis starts with hydrolysis of triglycerides and fl ow over the di- and mono-acylglycerols and glycerols to free fatty acids. Process of lipolysis has a great infl uence on dry-cured ham quality thanks to direct effect on fl avour. Many factors as type of dry-cured ham, type of fatty tissue (adipose and intramuscular), composition and quantity of endogenous lipolytic enzymes and specific processing conditions as well, affect the process of lipolysis. Free fatty acids produced by lipolysis process, especially those polyunsaturated, avail as a substrate in future reactions of oxidation producing precursors of fl avour and taste directly affect the quality of the dry-cured ham.