Alteration of post-mortem ageing in beef by the addition of enzyme inhibitors and activators

Apoptosis and its role in postmortem meat tenderness: A comprehensive review

Tenderness is considered a crucial attribute of postmortem meat quality, directly influencing consumers' preferences and industrial economic benefits. The degradation of myofibrillar proteins by endogenous enzymes within muscle fibers is believed to be the most effective pathway for meat tenderization. After animals are slaughtered and exsanguinated, there is a significant accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and a dramatic depletion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in muscle, leading to inevitable cell death. Caspases are activated in postmortem muscle cells, which disrupt the cell structure and improve meat tenderness through protein hydrolysis. In this review, we systematically summarized the three primary types of cell death studied in postmortem muscle: apoptosis, autophagy and necrosis. Furthermore, we emphasized the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis and its corresponding apoptotic pathways (mitochondrial apoptosis, death receptors, and endoplasmic reticulum stress) that affect meat tenderness during muscle conversion to meat. Additionally, factors affecting apoptosis were comprehensively discussed, such as ROS, heat shock proteins, calcium (Ca2+)/calpains, and Bcl-2 family proteins. Finally, this comprehensive review of existing research reveals that apoptosis is mainly mediated by the mitochondrial pathway. This ultimately leads to myofibrillar proteins degradation through caspase activation, improving meat tenderness. This review summarizes the research progress on postmortem muscle apoptosis and its molecular mechanisms in meat tenderization. We hope this will enhance understanding of postmortem meat tenderness and provide a theoretical basis for meat tenderization techniques development in the future.

Gene Co-expression Analysis Indicates Potential Pathways and Regulators of Beef Tenderness in Nellore Cattle

Beef tenderness, a complex trait affected by many factors, is economically important to beef quality, industry, and consumer’s palatability. In this study, RNA-Seq was used in network analysis to better understand the biological processes that lead to differences in beef tenderness. Skeletal muscle transcriptional profiles from 24 Nellore steers, selected by extreme estimated breeding values (EBVs) for shear force after 14 days of aging, were analyzed and 22 differentially expressed transcripts were identified. Among these were genes encoding ribosomal proteins, glutathione transporter ATP-binding cassette, sub-family C (CFTR/MRP), member 4 (ABCC4), and synaptotagmin IV (SYT4). Complementary co-expression analyses using Partial Correlation with Information Theory (PCIT), Phenotypic Impact Factor (PIF) and the Regulatory Impact Factor (RIF) methods identified candidate regulators and related pathways. The PCIT analysis identified ubiquitin specific peptidase 2 (USP2), growth factor receptor-bound protein 10 (GBR10), anoctamin 1 (ANO1), and transmembrane BAX inhibitor motif containing 4 (TMBIM4) as the most differentially hubbed (DH) transcripts. The transcripts that had a significant correlation with USP2, GBR10, ANO1, and TMBIM4 enriched for proteasome KEGG pathway. RIF analysis identified microRNAs as candidate regulators of variation in tenderness, including bta-mir-133a-2 and bta-mir-22. Both microRNAs have target genes present in the calcium signaling pathway and apoptosis. PIF analysis identified myoglobin (MB), enolase 3 (ENO3), and carbonic anhydrase 3 (CA3) as potentially having fundamental roles in tenderness. Pathways identified in our study impacted in beef tenderness included: calcium signaling, apoptosis, and proteolysis. These findings underscore some of the complex molecular mechanisms that control beef tenderness in Nellore cattle.

Effect of the Calpain System on Volatile Flavor Compounds in the Beef Longissimus lumborum Muscle

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of calpain system on the formation of volatile flavor compounds in Hanwoo beef. In the first experiment (exp.1), Longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle samples were injected with solutions containing 50 mM CaCl2 or 50 mM ZnCl2 and 154 mM NaCl respectively, and aged for 7 d at 4°C. In the second experiment (exp.2), the ground LL muscle was incubated with the aforementioned solutions containing cathepsin inhibitor. The injection with CaCl2 solution greatly elevated the calpain activity and concomitantly, significantly decreased the Warner-Bratzler shear force (p<0.05). The pH, meat color and cooking loss did not differ (p>0.05) between the treatment groups. A total of 51 volatile compounds were identified using the solid phase microextraction with gas chromatography (SPME-GC). Results on volatile analyses from the both experiments showed that the injection with calcium ions led to significant increase (p<0.05) concentrations of pyrazines and sulfuric compounds. These results coincide with a higher rate of protein degradation due to the CaCl2 injection as compared to the control group. Significantly (p<0.05) higher levels of lipid oxidation derived-aldehydes were found in the samples with ZnCl2. The exp.1 showed that cathepsin inhibitors had no effect on the formation of volatile flavor components after 7 d of aging. These results imply that the proteolytic activity of the calpain system is associated with generation of volatile compounds of chiller-aged beef, while the role of cathepsins is likely very limited.

Differential role of endogenous cathepsin and microorganism in texture softening of ice-stored grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) fillets

BACKGROUND

Texture deterioration often negatively affects sensory attributes and commercial values of ice-stored fish fillets. The mechanism of softening of fish fillets during chilling storage is not fully resolved. Grass carp is a predominant freshwater fish species in China. The objective of the present study was to investigate the differential role of endogenous cathepsin and microorganisms in texture softening of ice-stored grass carp fillets.

RESULTS

The fillets were immersed in either NaN3 solution to reduce microbial activity or in iodoacetic acid solution to exclude cathepsin activity before ice storage. Treatment with NaN3 reduced microbial load of fillets below 2 log CFU g(-1) muscle during the entire storage period, and had no significant influence on the cathepsin activity and proteolysis. But the shear force of fillets treated with NaN3 decreased by 66% after 21 days of storage. Meanwhile, treatment with iodoacetic acid inactivated cathepsin B and B + L but did not significantly affect the microbial growth of fillets. Compared to NaN3 treatment, iodoacetic acid effectively alleviated softening and inhibited the increase in TCA-soluble peptides during storage.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that proteolysis induced by endogenous cathepsins, rather than microorganisms, plays an important role in texture softening of ice-stored grass carp fillets. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

The effects of age at slaughter, genotype and finishing system on the biochemical properties, muscle fibre type characteristics and eating quality of bull beef from suckled calves

Muscle fibre characteristics and biochemical properties of muscle recovered from young bulls of two genotypes (Aberdeen Angus × and Charolais ×), reared on two different diets (silage-based and barley-based) and slaughtered at varying ages between 10 and 19 months of age were established. These analyses were restricted to samples ofm. longissimus lumborum (LI) recovered at 48 h post mortem, vacuum packed and stored at 2°C for 14 days. Biochemical measurements included intramuscular fat content, intramuscular collagen content and its solubility, haem pigment concentration, sarcomere length and myofibril fragmentation. Muscle fibre type was classified according to the contractile nature of thefibres and their metabolic properties.

Intramuscular fat content increased (P < 0·01) with age at slaughter and at a fixed age was greater for Angus × than Charolais × bulls (211·5 v. 295·8 mg/g dry matter, P < 0·01). Total intramuscular collagen and its solubility tended to decrease with age (P < 0·01). Differences in haem pigment concentration in samples of LI were detected between genotype (3·99 v. 3·59 mg/g for Angus × and Charolais × bulls; P × 0·01) and diet (3·97 v. 3·62 mg/g for bulls given barley and silage; P < 0·01), and increased with age at slaughter (P < 0·01). There was a significant increase in eye muscle cross-sectional area with increasing slaughter date (P < 0·01) and this was paralleled by an increase in cross-sectional area of individual muscle fibres (P < 0·001). Differences in cross-sectional area of individual muscle fibres between genotype and diet were small and inconsistent. Charolais × bulls had a greater percentage area of fast twitch glycolytic fibres than Angus × bulls (54·3 v. 49·3%; P < 0·01) and a smaller percentage area of slow twitch oxidative fibres (15·8 v. 18·9%; P < 0·05). Beef tenderness was positively correlated (r = 0·48; P < 0·01) with the frequency of slow twitch oxidative fibres and negatively correlated (r = -0·38; P < 0·05) with the frequency offast twitch glycolytic fibres.

Effect of calcium ions on the solubility of muscular collagen and tenderness of beef meat

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of aqueous solutions of calcium chloride and calcium lactate on the solubility of beef collagen in raw and cooked meat. The content of total collagen, water- and acetic acid-soluble collagen and insoluble collagen was determined in beef samples. Shearing force was measured after heat treatment. It was found that calcium ions had no significant effect on the solubility of muscular collagen. An improvement in beef tenderness (27%-34%) caused by calcium ions did not result from breaking of the native structure of muscular collagen.