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

Boin Lee,Young-Min Choi,Jae-Yeong Kim

doi:10.3390/ani12040467

Boin Lee, Young-Min Choi + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12040467

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Abstract

Simple SummaryAfter the onset of muscle fiber apoptosis, various apoptotic and anti-apoptotic factors are selectively increased. These factors are directly and/or indirectly associated with tenderness variation. Given the complex relationship between the apoptosis-related molecules, more data are needed on how the expression patterns of these factors during the post-mortem period affects the palatability of beef. In this study, the combination of expression levels of apoptotic (cytochrome c and caspases) and anti-apoptotic (small heat shock proteins) factors at 45 min post-mortem tended to be associated with Warner-Bratzler shear force and tenderness attributes in Hanwoo steers with a lower degree of marbling. Meanwhile, levels of these molecules at 24 h had a somewhat limited effect on the beef tenderness. Clearly, these results demonstrate that expression levels of apoptotic and anti-apoptotic molecules at the early post-mortem period may be a relevant indicator to explain the tenderness variation in Hanwoo.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).

Highlights

A marked difference was detected in the Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBS) values of the Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle among the groups (Table 1); the WBS values were appropriately higher in the order of the high, medium, and low groups (67.4 vs. 58.9 vs. 50.9 N, p < 0.0001)
Significant differences were observed in the tenderness attributes, as assessed by trained panelists, of the low and high WBS groups, the panelists did not recognize any differences in juiciness or flavor intensity between the two groups. These results suggest that the WBS value and tenderness variation in LT muscle samples at 24 h post-mortem were not caused by the degree of marbling or histochemical traits; this variation seems to be more related to other biochemical factors that affect tenderness in this study
The marked difference in the WBS values of cooked Hanwoo beef among the WBS groups was associated with expression levels of apoptotic and anti-apoptotic factors

Summary

Introduction

Among the various eating-quality characteristics of cooked beef, tenderness is one of the primary attributes that consumers most value, as it plays an important role in determining the overall acceptance of the meat [1]. An ongoing aim of the beef industry is to ensure that the tenderness of beef, as experienced by consumers, is consistent and/or improving [2,3]. It is necessary to understand the biochemical and physical changes of skeletal muscle during the post-mortem period [4]. Muscle fiber apoptosis (a highly organized cell death program) is initiated, and the expression of various apoptotic and anti-apoptotic molecules, including calpains, caspases, and heat shock proteins (HSPs), is intrinsically and selectively increased [5]

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