Research Note: Comparison of histochemical characteristics, chicken meat quality, and heat shock protein expressions between PSE-like condition and white-stripping features of pectoralis major muscle

Proteomics integrated with metabolomics: Analysis of the internal mechanism underlying changes in meat quality in different muscles from bactrian camels

Knowledge about the quality of meat obtained from different muscles is crucial for developing high-quality camel meat for commercial use. Metabolomic and proteomic profiles of the longissimus thoracic (LT), semitendinosus (ST), and psoas major (PM) muscles of the bactrian camel, which significantly vary in aspects such as intramuscular fat (IMF) content and shear force, were comprehensively compared to evaluate the impact of these changes on meat quality. Compared with ST and PM muscles, LT muscles had higher IMF content, were more tender, and had a lower shear force. Proteomic analysis unveiled significant differences in metabolic enzymes and binding proteins among different muscles. Based on correlation analysis, 20 key proteins and metabolites closely related to meat quality were screened. Integration of proteomic and metabolomic data highlighted oxidative phosphorylation, TCA cycle, and glycolysis as key distinguishing pathways among different muscles. These results offer effective information for producing high-quality camel meat.

A new perspective on apoptosis: Its impact on meat and organoleptic quality in different animals

Apoptosis serves as the initial phase in the conversion of muscle to meat, driving key biochemical and morphological changes in the postmortem muscle. To effectively improve and control meat quality across different animal species, it is important to gather more information on the mechanisms by which apoptotic potential, mediated through the interaction of apoptosis-related molecules, influences meat quality variations. The apoptotic potential, determined by the balance between apoptotic and anti-apoptotic molecules, such as Ca2+, cytochrome c, caspases, and heat shock proteins, varies among different species. A moderate to rapid apoptotic rate can improve textural properties in species with a higher proportion of type I fibers, such as cattle. In contrast, in species with a predominance of type IIB fibers, such as pork and poultry, rapid apoptosis can lead to undesirable quality traits. Therefore, understanding these species-specific apoptotic responses is critical for improving and maintaining meat quality across various species.

Effects of a myostatin mutation in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) on the physicochemical and histochemical characteristics of the pectoralis major muscle

The aim of this study was to compare the carcass, meat quality, and histochemical characteristics of pectoralis major (PM) muscle between wild type (WT) and myostatin (Mstn) homozygous mutant (HO) quail lines. The HO quail line exhibited significantly heavier body weight (HO vs. WT, 115.7 g vs. 106.2 g, approximately 110%) and PM muscle weight (HO vs. WT, 18.0 g vs. 15.2 g, approximately 120%) compared to the WT (p < 0.001). However, the two groups had similar traits (pH, redness, yellowness, and drip loss) for meat quality, although slightly higher lightness and cooking loss were observed in the mutant quail (103% and 141%, respectively, p < 0.05). For histochemical traits of PM muscle, Mstn mutant quail exhibited lower type IIA and higher type IIB percentage in the deep region than WT quail (p < 0.05), indicating a fiber conversion from the type IIA to IIB. However, the two quail lines had comparable histochemical traits in the superficial region (p > 0.05). These data suggest that Mstn mutation greatly increases muscle mass without significantly affecting meat quality.

Association of Serum Glucose, Serotonin, Aspartate Aminotransferase, and Calcium Levels with Meat Quality and Palatability Characteristics of Broiler Pectoralis Major Muscle

This study investigated the correlations between apoptosis-related blood biochemical parameters measured at exsanguination and the meat and sensory quality characteristics of broiler pectoralis major muscle. The concentration of serotonin showed a positive correlation with aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity (p < 0.001) and a negative correlation with calcium content (p < 0.01). All serum parameters showed relationships with muscle pH at 15 min and/or 24 h postmortem (p < 0.05). Serum AST activity, which had a negative correlation with calcium content (p < 0.01), was positively related with muscle pH and negatively correlated with Warner−Bratzler shear force values (WBS, p < 0.05). Principal component analysis results revealed the associations between AST activity and meat quality traits, including pH24h, lightness, and WBS. Furthermore, cooked breast with higher AST activity and lower calcium level tended to exhibit higher scores of tenderness and overall acceptability than that with lower AST activity and higher calcium level (p < 0.05).

Associations of Apoptotic and Anti-Apoptotic Factors with Beef Quality, Histochemical Characteristics, and Palatability of Hanwoo Longissimus thoracis Muscle

This study compared the meat quality, histochemical traits, palatability, and expression levels of apoptotic (cytochrome c and caspases) and anti-apoptotic (small heat shock proteins) factors at 45 min and 24 h post-mortem of Hanwoo Longissimus thoracis muscles in groups categorized by Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBS) values to investigate the association between beef tenderness variation and apoptosis-related molecules. There were no differences in marbling scores, meat quality traits, or histochemical characteristics among the WBS groups (p > 0.05) indicating no significant effect on the tenderness variation in the current study. On the other hand, the low group exhibited higher levels of apoptotic and anti-apoptotic factors (except for αβ-crystallin) at 45 min post-mortem compared to the high WBS group, resulting in higher scores of tenderness attributes (p < 0.05). However, the level of αβ-crystallin at 45 min post-mortem was lower in the low and medium WBS groups compared to the high WBS group (p < 0.0106). At 24 h post-mortem, no significant differences were observed in the expression levels of apoptosis-related factors among the WBS groups (p > 0.05) except for heat shock protein 27 (p < 0.05).