Effects of Carcass Weight and Muscle on Texture, Structure, Rheological Properties and Myofibre Characteristics of Roe Deer

Leszek Gajowiecki,Joanna Zochowska-,Malgorzata Sobczak,Kazimierz Lachowicz

doi:10.3844/ajavsp.2007.114.120

Abstract

Myofibre characteristic, texture, structure and rheological properties of selected muscles (BF, SM and L) of roe deer of different carcass weight were compared. Muscle texture and rheological properties was determined with the TPA and relaxation test, respectively, performed with a Instron 1140 device. Fibre type percentage and structural elements (muscle fibre cross sectional area and perimysium thickness) were measured in muscle samples using a computer image analysis programme. Of the muscles tested, the highest hardness, chewiness, sum of viscous and elastic moduli and the lower tenderness were found in BF which, at the same time, showed the highest fibre cross sectional area and the thickest perimysium. The most delicate histological structure and the lowest percentage of type I fibres as well as the lowest hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness and sum of viscous moduli were found in L. The young roe deer muscles showed lower percentage of I fibre type as well as lower values of textural parameters, while the sum of viscous and elastic moduli were higher than in old roe deer muscles. The muscle fibre cross sectional area and the perimysium thickness of young animal muscles were lower than those in the meat of older roe deer.

Highlights

Meat quality can be defined as the total degree of satisfaction that meat gives the consumer[12] and can be assessed by measuring biophysical and histochemical properties. ochowska et al.[39] and ochowska et al.[40] observed correlation in wild boar meat between fibre diameter, connective tissue thickness, fibre type composition and meat texture parameters values
Muscles from the roe deer of 15 kg carcass weight, compared to those from the younger animals showed a higher percentage of type I and type IIA fibres
Our findings are in agreement with those found for wild boar muscles by ochowska et al.,[39], ochowska et al.,[40], Ruusunen and Puolanne[30] and for cattle by Picard et al.,[28] and Brandstetter et al.,[3] who have shown that muscles of older animals compared to young ones contain a higher percentage of type I fibres

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Meat quality can be defined as the total degree of satisfaction that meat gives the consumer[12] and can be assessed by measuring biophysical and histochemical properties. ochowska et al.[39] and ochowska et al.[40] observed correlation in wild boar meat between fibre diameter, connective tissue thickness, fibre type composition and meat texture parameters values. Some more studies suggest relationships between fiber type or size and texture or eating quality, especially tenderness in beef[6,25,31,34]. No correlation between muscle fiber traits and tenderness were found by Whipple et al.,[37] Klont et al.,[15] suggest relationships exist between muscle fiber type and meat quality, in pork. No data on muscle fibre characteristic in roe deer of different carcass weight and structure, textural and rheological properties of their muscles could be found simultaneously in the available literature. The objectives in this study were to compare fibre type, structure, texture and rheological properties in muscles of roe deer and to study the effect of the carcass weight on properties of three muscles: Biceps Femoris (BF), Semimembranosus (SM) and Longissimus (L) in roe deer

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

CONCLUSIONS