A Technique to Quantify the Extent of Postmortem Degradation of Meat Ultrastructure

Title
A Technique to Quantify the Extent of Postmortem Degradation of Meat Ultrastructure
Publication Date
2002
Author(s)
Hwang, I H
Thompson, John Mitchell
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies
Place of publication
Republic of Korea
UNE publication id
une:5839
Abstract
This study investigated quantitative changes in the spaces between and within myofibrils and the impact of high and low voltage electrical stimulation on muscle ultrastructure as seen in electron micrographs. In addition, the relationships of these spaces and the impact to meat tenderness were investigated. The degradation of myofibrils during aging appeared to be localized across the muscle fibre. Structural deterioration of muscle fibres was evident 1 day post-mortem, involving the weakening in the lateral integrity of the myofibrils and Z-disc regions. Meat tenderisation, as shown by objective measurements, coincided with these increases in degradation, as assessed by the sum of the gaps between and within myofibrils. The results showed that the total size of gaps between and within myofibrils can be used as an indicator of meat tenderization during aging, but that ultrastructural alteration in electrically stimulated muscle had little relationship with meat tenderness.
Link
Citation
Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences, 15(1), p. 111-116
ISSN
1976-5517
1011-2367
Start page
111
End page
116

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