Collagen in two muscles of sheep selected for weight as yearlings

Abstract

Abstract Collagen concentration and solubility were examined in the semimembranosus and biceps femoris muscles of Romney lambs from the Hight line, a line selected for nine generations on the basis of high body weight at 1 year old. Lambs from the Control (CON) and high body weight (HBW) lines were slaughtered at five ages (0, 42, 70, 274, 365 days). In the semimembranosus muscle, there was no evidence of concentration or solubility differences between the lines at any age, but there was a subtle sex by age interaction, possibly because of increased collagen synthesis in males at puberty. In the biceps femoris muscle, collagen concentration was 14% higher in the HBW line, but there was no difference in solubility. The semimembranosus muscle was shear-tested after cooking to give an objective measure of tenderness. Selection line did not affect shear force. With the semimembranosus muscle, collagen solubility was a better predictor of shear force than collagen concentration, confirming previous work on thi...