Effects of post-mortem glycolysis on the quality of hot-deboned bovine muscle

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Ball, R. O.
  • Bruce, H. L.

• Meat tenderness may be improved by accelerating muscle metabolism or by damaging muscle structure and increasing the solubility of muscle proteins. Pre- and postrigor protein and collagen solubilities were measured in semitendinosus muscles, removed pre-rigor from 24 Charolais crossbred steer carcasses, that were either unstimulated or electrically stimulated (115 V, 0.25 amp, 60 Hz) within 1 h postexsanguination to accelerate muscle metabolism. Temperature, pH, Hunterlab color reflectance, sarcomere length and lactate concentration were measured during ageing. Shear force was measured on aged (7 d) muscle only. Low voltage electrical stimulation increased glycolytic rate as indicated by significantly (P < 0.05) lower pH and higher L-lactate concentrations of stimulated muscles as compared to control muscles. Total and sarcoplasmic protein solubilities decreased due to ageing, and myofibrillar protein solubility increased; however, collagen solubilities were unchanged. Low voltage electrical stimulation did not affect color reflectance, sarcomere length or shear force, indicating that an increased rate of glycolysis alone was not sufficient to effect increases in meat tenderness.

• Date created

  1990

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Electrical stimulation
  • Beef
  • Muscles
  • Meat quality

• Type of Item

  Article (Published)

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3TJ97

• License

  @1990 Bruce, H. L., Ball, R. O. This version of this article is open access and can be downloaded and shared. The original author(s) and source must be cited.