Protein degradation and structure changes of beef muscle during superchilled storage

Meat Sci. 2020 Oct:168:108180. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2020.108180. Epub 2020 May 7.

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of superchilled storage (-4 °C) on protein degradation and structural changes of beef steaks from M. longissimus lumborum compared with traditional chilling (2 °C) and frozen storage (-18 °C). Traditional chilling induced significantly greater degradation of troponin T and desmin, and more rapid loss of calpain activity, compared to superchilled or frozen storage treatments. The proteolysis of key myofibrillar proteins resulted in a sharp decline of WBSF values during traditional chilled storage. For frozen beef samples, no major changes were observed with respect to protein degradation or muscle structure during storage. However, superchilled samples exhibited wider gaps between muscle fibers at 12 weeks storage, associated with muscle fiber shrinkage.

Keywords: Beef muscle; Muscle structure; Myofibrillar protein; Superchilled storage.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Calpain / analysis
  • Cattle
  • Desmin / analysis
  • Food Preservation
  • Food Storage / methods*
  • Freezing
  • Male
  • Muscle, Skeletal / chemistry*
  • Proteolysis*
  • Red Meat / analysis*
  • Refrigeration
  • Shear Strength
  • Time Factors
  • Troponin T / analysis

Substances

  • Desmin
  • Troponin T
  • Calpain