«Spores are basically a bacterial cell in a really tough protein shell,» Stewart said. (scientificamerican.com)
The resulting proteins are invariably denatured, although some of the very tough proteins, like protease inhibitors, survive the rough processing treatment. (westonaprice.org)
The salt in the brine works by breaking down some of the tougher proteins and forcing the meat to retain fluid, thus keeping it moist and juicy when cooked. (kitchenistadiaries.com)