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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Meat Safety and Quality » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #135525
Title: VARIATION IN PALATABILITY AND BIOCHEMICAL TRAITS WITHIN AND AMONG MAJOR BEEF MUSCLES

Author
item RHEE, MIN-SUK - FORMER ARS EMPLOYEE
item Wheeler, Tommy
item Shackelford, Steven
item Koohmaraie, Mohammad

Submitted to: American Meat Science Association Conference Reciprocal Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2002
Publication Date: 7/28/2002
Citation: Rhee, M., Wheeler, T.L., Shackelford, S.D., Koohmaraie, M. 2002. VARIATION IN PALATABILITY AND BIOCHEMICAL TRAITS WITHIN AND AMONG MAJOR BEEF MUSCLES.[Abstract]. American Meat Science Association 55th Annual Reciprocal Conference Proceedings. July 28-31, 2002, East Lansing, Michigan. 2002 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The objectives of this study were to determine 1) the extent of variation in biochemical and palatability traits within and among eleven major beef muscles, and 2) within and among muscle relationships between biochemical and palatability traits. Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LD), psoas major (PM), gluteus medius (GM), semimembranosus (SM), adductor (AD), biceps femoris (BF), semitendinosus (ST), rectus femoris (RF), triceps brachii (TB), infraspinatus (IS), and supraspinatus (SS) from one carcass side from thirty-one Charolais x MARC III steers were vacuum-packaged, stored at 2°C until 14 d postmortem, then frozen at -30°C. The steaks (2.54 cm thick) were obtained from two or three locations within muscles for biochemical traits and Warner-Bratzler shear force, and from near the center for sensory traits. The PM was most tender, followed by IS, in both shear force and tenderness rating (P < 0.05). The other muscles were not ranked the same by shear force and tenderness rating. The BF had the lowest (P < 0.05) tenderness rating. The PM, GM, and LD had lower collagen content (2.7 to 4.5 mg/g muscle) than muscles from the chuck and round (5.9 to 9.0 mg/g) except for AD (4.9 mg/g). Desmin proteolysis was highest for BF and LD, and was lowest for PM. The PM, TB, IS, RF, and ST had relatively long sarcomere length (> 2.1 um). The GM had the shortest (P < 0.05) sarcomere length (1.7 um). Cooking loss was lowest for BF (18.7%), followed by LD and IS (20.7%), and was highest for ST (27.4%). Across all muscles, tenderness rating was highly correlated (r > 0.60) to shear force, connective tissue rating, sarcomere length, and collagen content. Within a muscle, correlations among all traits were generally highest in LD and lowest in AD. Within muscle location effects were detected (P < 0.05) on shear force (PM, ST, BF, SM, and RF), sarcomere length (PM, ST, BF, LD, SS, IS, SM, and RF), collagen concentration (PM, BF, SS, IS, SM, AD, TB, and RF), desmin degradation (PM, GM, BF, SM, AD, and RF), and cooking loss (all muscles except SS and AD). There is a large amount of variation within and among muscles for tenderness traits and tenderness related biochemical traits. These data increase our understanding of the sources of variation in tenderness in different muscles and may enable us to develop muscle specific strategies for improving the quality and value of muscles.