Soluble Collagen Content Research Articles

Collagen profile and tenderness of strip loin and silverside originated from polish Holstein-Friesian bulls of the black and white variety

The aim of the study was to determine and compare the collagen profile of two beef carcass cuts: silverside (M. semitendinosus) and strip loin (M. longissimus lumborum), originated from Polish Holstein-Friesian bulls of the black and white variety. Silverside showed higher total, acid-soluble, total soluble, and insoluble collagen content than strip loin. Significant differences between silverside and strip loin were noted in their share of water-soluble and acid-soluble collagen (% total collagen, P<0.05). The thermal treatment caused cooking losses, which reached 38% in strip loin and 40% in silverside. There were no significant differences in shear force values or organoleptic quality between the cuts, which indicates their similar usefulness as meat for roasting. The content and profile of intramuscular collagen did not influence the organoleptic quality or shear force values of silverside and strip loin.

Biaxial mechanical properties of bovine jugular venous valve leaflet tissues.

Venous valve incompetence has been implicated in diseases ranging from chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) to intracranial venous hypertension. However, while the mechanical properties of venous valve leaflet tissues are central to CVI biomechanics and mechanobiology, neither stress-strain curves nor tangent moduli have been reported. Here, equibiaxial tensile mechanical tests were conducted to assess the tangent modulus, strength and anisotropy of venous valve leaflet tissues from bovine jugular veins. Valvular tissues were stretched to 60% strain in both the circumferential and radial directions, and leaflet tissue stress-strain curves were generated for proximal and distal valves (i.e., valves closest and furthest from the right heart, respectively). Toward linking mechanical properties to leaflet microstructure and composition, Masson's trichrome and Verhoeff-Van Gieson staining and collagen assays were conducted. Results showed: (1) Proximal bovine jugular vein venous valves tended to be bicuspid (i.e., have two leaflets), while distal valves tended to be tricuspid; (2) leaflet tissues from proximal valves exhibited approximately threefold higher peak tangent moduli in the circumferential direction than in the orthogonal radial direction (i.e., proximal valve leaflet tissues were anisotropic; [Formula: see text]); (3) individual leaflets excised from the same valve apparatus appeared to exhibit different mechanical properties (i.e., intra-valve variability); and (4) leaflets from distal valves exhibited a trend of higher soluble collagen concentrations than proximal ones (i.e., inter-valve variability). To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study reporting biaxial mechanical properties of venous valve leaflet tissues. These results provide a baseline for studying venous valve incompetence at the tissue level and a quantitative basis for prosthetic venous valve design.

Effects of anabolic implants and ractopamine-HCl on muscle fiber morphometrics, collagen solubility, and tenderness of beef longissimus lumborum steaks.

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of growth-promoting technologies (GP) and postmortem aging on longissimus lumborum muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA), collagen solubility, and their relationship to meat tenderness. Two groups of black-hided crossbred feedlot heifers (group 1: = 33, initial BW 430 ± 7 kg; group 2: = 32, initial BW 466 ± 7 kg) were blocked by BW and assigned to 1 of 3 treatments consisting of: no implant and no ractopamine hydrochloride (CON; = 21); implant, no ractopamine hydrochloride (IMP; = 22); implant and ractopamine hydrochloride (COMBO; = 22). Heifers that received an implant were administered an implant containing 200 mg trenbolone acetate and 20 mg estradiol on d 0 of the study, and heifers in the COMBO group received 400 mg∙head∙d of ractopamine hydrochloride for 28 (Group 1) or 29 d (Group 2) at the end of 90- (Group 1) or 106-d (Group 2) feeding period. Following harvest, strip loins were collected and further fabricated into 5 roasts for postmortem aging (DOA) periods of 2, 7, 14, 21, or 35 d. After aging, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), muscle fiber CSA, and collagen solubility were measured. There was no treatment × DOA interaction for WBSF ( = 0.86), but treatment and DOA impacted WBSF ( < 0.01). Over the entire aging study, COMBO steaks had greater ( < 0.01) shear force values when compared to CON steaks. The IMP steaks tended to have decreased ( = 0.07) shear force when compared to the COMBO steaks, but did not differ ( = 0.11) from CON steaks. The IMP and COMBO treatments had increased type IIA fiber CSA when compared to CON ( < 0.01). When compared to each other, the IMP and COMBO type IIA fiber CSA did not differ ( = 0.76). Type I and IIX fiber CSA tended to be greater than CON for IMP and COMBO treatments ( < 0.10). There was no treatment × DOA interaction for all collagen measures ( > 0.33). Collagen amounts were not impacted by GP treatment ( > 0.72), but DOA increased the concentration of soluble collagen ( = 0.04). Fiber CSA of all fiber types were positively correlated ( < 0.05; = 0.21 to 0.28) with WBSF only on d 2 of aging, while soluble collagen amount tended to negatively correlate with WBSF on d 7 and 14 of aging ( < 0.10; = -0.24 and -0.23, respectively). Administration of GP during heifer finishing resulted in greater steak WBSF over 35 d of aging, which was not due to collagen characteristics and only minimally affected by fiber CSA.

Ts14 from Tityus serrulatus boosts angiogenesis and attenuates inflammation and collagen deposition in sponge-induced granulation tissue in mice

We have previously described a 25mer anti-hypertensive peptide, previously named TsHpt-I (Tityus serrulatus Hypotensin-I), now Ts14, as an agonist of B2 kinin receptor. Bradykinin is known to play physiological roles in angiogenic, inflammatory, and fibrogenic processes, mostly mediated by B2 receptor. Therefore, we investigated whether Ts14 could modulate key events (neovascularization, inflammatory cell recruitment, and extracellular matrix deposition) of the fibrovascular tissue, induced by polyether-polyurethane sponge implants in mice. Sponges were implanted in the dorsum of 7-week-old C57Bl/6 male mice that received daily intrasponge treatment with Ts14 (27.25μg/sponge/day in 10μL PBS) or vehicle (10μL PBS/sponge/day) and were assessed on day 7 after surgery. Hemoglobin content, blood flow (laser Doppler perfusion imaging), and VEGF levels in the implants, used as indices of vascularization, indicated that Ts14 enhanced angiogenesis in implants relative to the PBS-treated group. Interestingly, Ts14 reduced TNF-α levels and neutrophil infiltration, although stimulated macrophage infiltration into implants, as determined by myeloperoxidase (MPO) and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG) enzyme activities, respectively. Regarding the fibrogenic component (soluble collagen content and Sirius-red histological staining), we observed that Ts14 inhibited collagen deposition in the implants. Overall, our results suggest that Ts14 exerts proangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrogenic activities. These effects may indicate a therapeutical potential of this peptide in conditions where angiogenesis, inflammation, and fibrogenesis contribute to disease progression and chronicity.

Preventive and therapeutic effects of thymosin β4 N-terminal fragment Ac-SDKP in the bleomycin model of pulmonary fibrosis.

In this study, the bleomycin model of pulmonary fibrosis was utilized to investigate putative anti-fibrotic activity of Ac-SDKP in vivo. Male CD-1 mice received intra-tracheal bleomycin (BLEO, 1 mg/kg) instillation in the absence or presence of Ac-SDKP (a dose of 0.6 mg/kg delivered intra-peritoneally on the day of BLEO treatment, d0, followed by bi-weekly additional doses). To evaluate therapeutic effects in a subset of mice, Ac-SDKP was administered one week after BLEO instillation (d7). Animals were sacrificed at one, two, or three weeks later. Measurement of fluid and collagen content in the lung, Broncho Alveolar Lavage Fluid (BALF) analysis, lung histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and molecular analysis were performed. Compared to BLEO-treated mice, animals that received also Ac-SDKP (at both d0 and d7) had significantly decreased mortality, weight loss, inflammation (edema, and leukocyte lung infiltration), lung damage (histological evidence of lung injury), and fibrosis (collagen histological staining and soluble collagen content in the lung) at up to 21 days. Moreover, IHC and quantitative RT-PCR results demonstrated a significant decrease in BLEO-induced IL-17 and TGF-β expression in lung tissue. Importantly, α-SMA expression, the hallmark of myofibroblast differentiation, was also decreased. This is the first report showing not only a preventive protective role of Ac-SDKP but also its significant therapeutic effects in the bleomycin model of pulmonary fibrosis, thus supporting further preclinical and clinical studies.

Effect of dressing percentage on chemical composition, microstructure and quality traits of Pectoralis major muscle in female Japanese quail

Summary The experiment involved 40 female Japanese quail ( Coturnix japonica) slaughtered at 8 weeks of age. The study was arranged to determine slaughter traits, physicochemical properties and microstructure characteristics of Pectoralis major muscle as related to the different dressing percentages, and to examine the correlation between tested parameters. The results show that dressing percentage significantly affected carcass and Pectoralis major muscle weight, acidity and the content of crude fat, dry matter and soluble collagen. Dressing percentage did not influence the number of fast-twitch oxidative-glycolytic muscle fibres, cross-section area for slow-twitch oxidative fibres and aerobic index. Dressing percentage was positively and significantly correlated with the number of fibres and capillaries per bundle, the quantity of fast-twitch glycolytic fibres, cross-section area for fast-twitch oxidative-glycolytic fibres, anaerobic index and fat content in the muscle. Only in the case of the number of slow-twitch oxidative fibres the correlation coefficient was negative and the relationship with dressing percentage significant. It is concluded that it is possible to obtain high-quality meat with increased dressing percentage from 8-week-old female Japanese quail.

The influence of crossbreeding on collagen solubility and tenderness of Infraspinatus and Semimembranosus muscles of semi-intensively reared young bulls.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of crossbreeding on collagen content and solubility, shear force (WBSF) and the eating quality of Infraspinatus (INF) and Semimembranosus (SM) muscles of young bulls and the relationships between collagen content and solubility, shear force and the eating quality of beef. The experimental material comprised muscles of crossbred young bulls (about 600 days old) of Polish Holstein-Friesian (PHF) × Limousine (LM) (n = 10), PHF × Charolaise (CH) (n = 9), PHF × Hereford (HER) (n = 9) breeds. The crossbreeding influenced WBSF, aroma and taste, total, water-soluble, acid-soluble, total soluble and insoluble collagen content, as well as the acid-soluble, total soluble and insoluble collagen proportions. WBSF was significantly negatively correlated with sensorial tenderness and water-soluble collagen content. The eating quality of beef obtained from different crossbreds was similar; however, the meat from PHF × LM and PHF × HER bulls had lower WBSF values than PHF × CH bulls. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Importance of intramuscular connective tissue for meat quality

During ageing, meat undergoes many structural and biochemical changes which make it possible to obtain meat of specific taste and physico-chemical parameters. One of the most important quality parameters is meat tenderness and juiciness. This work presents the results of studies concerning the possible effect of intramuscular connective tissue (IMCT) on the final meat quality. The amount, quality and organization of this tissue depend on the type of muscle, as well as its location in the carcass and function in the body. Muscles with high amounts of IMCT are generally less tender due to a considerable collagen content. The breakdown of IMCT network increases collagen solubility and decreases the number of extracellular matrix components, which may lead to increased meat tenderness and reduced meat juiciness. However, the final meat quality is determined not only by the proportion of connective tissue in the muscle structure, the size and organization of collagen fibres, the intramuscular fat content and the total collagen level, but also by the soluble collagen content. The effect of IMCT on the final meat quality requires further research, mainly at the molecular level.

Correlation of fresh muscle firmness with sensory characteristics of pork loins destined for a quality focused market.

Production of pork for quality-driven export markets offers economic incentive. Pork processors use subjective firmness as a sorting tool for loins intended for high-quality export. The objectives of this study were to determine 1) durometer efficacy in muscle, 2) if firmness on one portion of the loin is indicative of other locations, 3) if 1 d firmness is related to export quality traits, and 4) if variation in firmness is explained by mechanistic measures. Subjective firmness scores (1 = extremely soft and 5 = extremely firm) were determined by a trained individual 1 d (initial time point) postmortem. Loins (North American Meat Processors number 414 Canadian back; = 154) were wet aged for 28 d at 1.7°C. On d 28, a panel of 4 individuals assigned firmness scores on the ventral side of the loin at the area of the 10th rib, the anterior half, and the posterior half of the loin. Durometer readings were collected at the area of the 10th rib on the dorsal and ventral side of the loin. Spearman correlation coefficients were computed in SAS (version 9.3) to account for nonnormality of categorical data. Subjective firmness measurements at d 28 at the 10th rib and on the anterior portion of the loin were not correlated ( ≥ 0.21) with whole loin durometer readings on the dorsal or ventral portion of the loin or the average of the whole loin values. Subjective firmness (d 28) at the 10th rib accounted for 38.44 ( = 0.620) and 48.30% ( = 0.695) of the variation in firmness at the anterior portion of the loin and the posterior portion of the loin, respectively ( ≤ 0.05). One-day subjective firmness measurements were correlated with 28-d Warner-Bratzler shear force measurements ( = 0.174, = 0.03) but were not significantly correlated with sensory characteristics ( ≥ 0.08). Purge tended to be correlated with 1 d firmness ( = 0.136, = 0.10); however, drip and cooking loss, 24-h and 28-d pH, and soluble and insoluble collagen content were not correlated ( ≥ 0.34). Firmness measurements collected in the production facility (1 d) were negatively correlated with iodine value (IV; = -0.199, = 0.02), yet no 28-d subjective firmness measurements were correlated with IV ( ≥ 0.33). When loins not achieving export standards are removed from the population, 1 d firmness was not correlated to export quality or sensory characteristics (d 28). Differences in firmness were not explained by mechanistic measures. Inconsistencies among subjective and objective firmness measurements suggest that the durometer may not be an appropriate way to determine firmness.

Imaging of Intact Ovine m. semimembranosus by Confocal Raman Microscopy

This paper reports for the first time the application of Raman confocal microscopic imaging to determine the impact of chemical and spatial differences in Raman spectra of ovine m. semimembranosus (SM) on indicators of tenderness and the potential to classify SMs based on shear force values. Chemical images of integrated intensities were generated and analysed against traditional indicators of tenderness. Results indicated that using the tyrosine doublet at 853 cm−1, it was possible to classify SMs into categories based on tenderness and soluble collagen content (P < 0.05). A promising classification was also achieved for the classification of SMs based on sarcomere lengths (P < 0.05) using the α-helix (930 cm−1) signal. Despite integrating the intensities and reducing wavenumbers values used in the analysis, the Raman spectra were still complex and the impact of spectral overlap from multiple compounds with similar chemical composition will need to be determined by future research.

Comparison of Carcass and Sensory Traits and Free Amino Acid Contents among Quality Grades in Loin and Rump of Korean Cattle Steer.

This study was performed to compare carcass traits, sensory characteristics, physiochemical composition, and contents of nucleotides, collagen, and free amino acids among quality grades (QG) and to understand the association between QG and above parameters in loin and rump of Korean cattle steer. Loin and rump samples were obtained from 48 Korean cattle steers with each of four QG (QG 1++, 1+, 1, and 2; average 32 months of age). Carcass weight and marbling score (MS) were highest in QG 1++, whereas texture score measured by a meat grader was highest in QG 2. A correlation analysis revealed that MS (r = 0.98; p<0.01) and fat content (r = 0.73; p<0.01) had strong positive correlations with QG and that texture had a strong negative correlation (r = −0.78) with QG. Fat content in loin was highest but protein and moisture contents were lowest in QG 1++. Our results confirmed that a major determinant of QG is the MS; thus, intramuscular fat content. The International Commission on Illumination L*, a*, and b* values in loin were highest in QG 1++. Numeric values of shear force in loin were lowest in QG 1++, whereas those of tenderness, juiciness, and overall acceptability tended to be highest in QG 1++ without statistical significance. QG was strongly correlated with juiciness (r = 0.81; p<0.01) and overall acceptability (r = 0.87; p<0.001). All sensory characteristics were higher (p<0.05) in loin than those in rump. Adenosine-5′-monophosphate (AMP) and inosine-5′-monophosphate (IMP) contents in both loin and rump did not differ among QGs. No nucleotide (AMP, IMP, inosine, hypoxanthine) was correlated with any of the sensory traits. Total, soluble, and insoluble collagen contents in loin were higher in QG 1++ than those in QG 1. All three collagens had lower content in loin than that in rump. All three collagens were positively correlated with tenderness, juiciness, and overall acceptability. Glutamic acid content did not significantly differ among the four QGs in either loin or rump. In conclusion, it is confirmed that QG is associated with sensory traits but nucleotide contents in beef may not be a major factor determining meat palatability in the present study.

Slaughter and carcass characteristics, chemical composition and physical properties of &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;longissimus lumborum&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; muscle of heifers as related to marbling class

Abstract. The experiment involved 68 heifers obtained from Polish Black-and-White Lowland dams (with no more than 50% Holstein Friesian blood) sired by Limousin bulls. The study was arranged to determine the slaughter and carcass traits, chemical composition and physical properties of musculus longissimus lumborum (MLL) as related to the level of marbling, and to examine the correlation between some of the traits mentioned above and the culinary characteristics of meat. The results of the study show that marbling significantly affected the dressing percentage and carcass traits such as subcutaneous fat content, fat of valuable cuts and MLL area. Most of the physico-chemical properties of tested muscles, with the exception of total protein and total collagen content, were related to the level of marbling. Based on the results obtained, it appears that age at slaughter and carcass weight turned out to be poor predictors of colour lightness within all marbling classes. The same conclusion applies to the amount of total collagen in large and strong marbled muscles for shear force value. In turn, soluble collagen content for shear force could be a quite good forecaster of meat tenderness but not in highly marbled muscles. Of all tested slaughter and carcass traits, only MLL fat content seems to be appropriate to assess both: the tenderness and lightness of meat.

Disruption of Calcium Signaling in Fibroblasts and Attenuation of Bleomycin-Induced Fibrosis by Nifedipine.

Fibrotic lung disease afflicts millions of people; the central problem is progressive lung destruction and remodeling. We have shown that external growth factors regulate fibroblast function not only through canonical signaling pathways but also through propagation of periodic oscillations in Ca(2+). In this study, we characterized the pharmacological sensitivity of the Ca(2+)oscillations and determined whether a blocker of those oscillations can prevent the progression of fibrosis in vivo. We found Ca(2+) oscillations evoked by exogenously applied transforming growth factor β in normal human fibroblasts were substantially reduced by 1 μM nifedipine or 1 μM verapamil (both L-type blockers), by 2.7 μM mibefradil (a mixed L-/T-type blocker), by 40 μM NiCl2 (selective at this concentration against T-type current), by 30 mM KCl (which partially depolarizes the membrane and thereby fully inactivates T-type current but leaves L-type current intact), or by 1 mM NiCl2 (blocks both L- and T-type currents). In our in vivo study in mice, nifedipine prevented bleomycin-induced fibrotic changes (increased lung stiffness, overexpression of smooth muscle actin, increased extracellular matrix deposition, and increased soluble collagen and hydroxyproline content). Nifedipine had little or no effect on lung inflammation, suggesting its protective effect on lung fibrosis was not due to an antiinflammatory effect but rather was due to altering the profibrotic response to bleomycin. Collectively, these data show that nifedipine disrupts Ca(2+) oscillations in fibroblasts and prevents the impairment of lung function in the bleomycin model of pulmonary fibrosis. Our results provide compelling proof-of-principle that interfering with Ca(2+) signaling may be beneficial against pulmonary fibrosis.

Biochemical measurements of beef are a good predictor of untrained consumer sensory scores across muscles

The ability of the biochemical measurements, haem iron, intramuscular fat (IMF%), moisture content, and total, soluble and insoluble collagen contents, to predict untrained consumer sensory scores both across different muscles and within the same muscle from different carcasses were investigated. Sensory scores from 540 untrained French consumers (tenderness, flavour liking, juiciness and overall liking) were obtained for six muscles; outside (m. biceps femoris), topside (m. semimembranosus), striploin (m. longissimus thoracis), rump (m. gluteus medius), oyster blade (m. infraspinatus) and tenderloin (m. psoas major) from each of 18 French and 18 Australian cattle. The four sensory scores were weighted and combined into a single score termed MQ4, which was also analysed. All sensory scores were highly correlated with each other and with MQ4. This in part reflects the fact that MQ4 is derived from the consumer scores for tenderness, juiciness, flavour and overall liking and also reflects an interrelationship between the sensory scores themselves and in turn validates the use of the MQ4 term to reflect the scope of the consumer eating experience. When evaluated across the six different muscles, all biochemical measurements, except soluble collagen, had a significant effect on all of the sensory scores and MQ4. The average magnitude of impact of IMF%, haem iron, moisture content, total and insoluble collagen contents across the four different sensory scores are 34.9, 5.1, 7.2, 36.3 and 41.3, respectively. When evaluated within the same muscle, only IMF% and moisture content had a significant effect on overall liking (5.9 and 6.2, respectively) and flavour liking (6.1 and 6.4, respectively). These results indicate that in a commercial eating quality prediction model including muscle type, only IMF% or moisture content has the capacity to add any precision. However, all tested biochemical measurements, particularly IMF% and insoluble collagen contents, are strong predictors of eating quality when muscle type is not known. This demonstrates their potential usefulness in extrapolating the sensory data derived from these six muscles to other muscles with no sensory data, but with similar biochemical parameters, and therefore reducing the amount of future sensory testing required.

Water holding capacity and collagen profile of bovine m. infraspinatus during postmortem ageing

Changes in the water holding capacity (WHC) and collagen profile in bovine m. infraspinatus during ageing in a vacuum at 3°C up to 20days were studied. Moisture, expressible water and total collagen content were determined in raw samples and muscles were then subjected to thermal treatment in steam. Moisture, collagen fractions (total, water-soluble, insoluble, acetic acid-soluble, total soluble) and cooking loss were determined in the cooked meat. Ageing time did not significantly influence WHC (expressible water content as a % of moisture), moisture content in raw and cooked meat or cooking loss. Between the 5th and 10th day of ageing a significant increase was noted in acetic acid-soluble collagen and total soluble collagen content along with a decrease in insoluble collagen content (p<0.05). A significant negative relationship was found between the expressible water content and the water-soluble collagen. It was concluded that connective tissue ageing of bovine m. infraspinatus might be finished after 10days.

Effect of Breed on Microstructure and Tenderness of Porcine Semimembranosus Muscle

Abstract The objective of the study was to analyse the effect of breed on characteristics of muscle fibres, parameters of intramuscular connective tissue, collagen content, intramuscular fat (IMF) content and tenderness of semimembranosus muscle in pigs. The study was conducted with 16 Złotnicka Spotted (ZS) and 23 Polish Landrace (PL) fattening pigs slaughtered at 210 days of age. The current study showed that compared to the PL breed, the semimembranosus muscle from the local breed of ZS pigs was characterized by a greater percentage of type I fibres, a smaller percentage of type IIB fibres and a smaller diameter of all the three muscle fibre types analysed, while the muscles of PL pigs had significantly thinner endomysium and perimysium and a more compact arrangement of collagen fibres, with a significantly lower percentage of collagen in the muscle and a lower content of total and soluble collagen compared to the muscles of ZS pigs. Furthermore, meat from ZS pigs was more tender (lower shear force value) and had a significantly higher IMF content compared to meat from PL pigs.

Effect of Temperature on Protein Compositional Changes of Big Head Carp (Aristichthys nobilis) Muscle and Exudates

Effect of cooking temperature (40–100°C) on changes in protein composition of big head carp muscle and exudate was investigated. The results showed that the proportion of salt-soluble and water-soluble proteins in cooked muscle decreased with temperature up to 50°C and 60°C, respectively. Alkali-soluble proteins content in muscle increased with increasing temperature in the range of 40–98°C, while both non-protein nitrogen (NPN) and alkali- insoluble proteins content showed no significant change. Content of soluble collagen in muscle and collagen in exudates increased with increasing temperature. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS- PAGE) patterns revealed disappearance of most muscle protein bands when the temperature reached 60°C for water-soluble proteins, and 50°C for salt-soluble proteins, but proteins with molecular weight (MW) about 37 kDa was observed when heated to 98°C. Visible β and a band of collagen in exudates were clear.

자연산 홍합(Mytilus coruscus)과 양식산 진주담치(Mytilus edulis)의 성분 특성

To characterize the food components of two mussels (wild hard-shelled mussel (HM) Mytilus coruscus, and cultured sea mussel (SM) Mytilus edulis) in Korea, we examined the proximate composition, fatty composition, amino acid/mineral content, texture, collagen content and chemical and taste compounds. Regarding the proximate composition, HM had lower moisture levels and higher crude protein and carbohydrate contents than SM. The amino nitrogen, volatile basic nitrogen and total amino acid contents of HM and SM were 250.6 and 227.3 mg/100 g, 11.2 and 12.0 mg/100 g, and 17,451.1 and 15,334.8 mg/100 g, respectively. The major amino acids were glutamic acid, aspartic acid, glycine, alanine, lysine and arginine. The major fatty acids of HM and SM were 14:0, 16:0, 16:1n-7, 20:5n-3, and 22:6n-3, which did not differ significantly between the two mussels. HM had a higher n-3 polyene ratio, and a lower saturate and monoene ratio than SM. Regarding the taste-active compounds, the free amino acid contents of HM and SM were 1,116.5 and 961.8 mg/100 g, respectively, and the major free amino acids were taurine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, citrulline, lysine and arginine. The primary minerals in both HM and SM were Na, Cl, K and P which did not differ significantly between the two mussels. The soluble and insolube collagen contents of HM and SM were 265.8 and 228.4 mg/100 g, and 119.5 and 121.8 mg/100 g, respectively.

Sparassis crispa(Hanabiratake) Ameliorates Skin Conditions in Rats and Humans

Sparassis crispa (SC) is an edible mushroom with various medicinal properties. In this study, we investigated to determine whether SC would affect skin conditions in rats and humans. Oral administration of SC increased both turnover of the stratum corneum and dermal soluble collagen content in collagen synthetic activity-reduced model rats. To investigate the effects of oral intake of SC in humans, we performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. We found that cheek transepidermal water loss was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group at 4 weeks of ingestion. This study suggests that SC is effective and safe for the improvement of skin conditions.

Effects of citric acid, cucumis powder and pressure cooking on quality attributes of goat meat curry.

In the present study, comparative effects of marination in citric acid (1%), spray of cucumis powder (2%) and pressure cooking (at 15psi) were observed on quality attributes of goat meat curry. Significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in pH of citric acid treated samples compared to other samples. Significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in protein and soluble collagen content of meat curry treated with pressure as compared to other treated samples including control. Cooking yield was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in control samples. The significant difference was observed in chewiness and gumminess at (p < 0.05) level and hardness at (p < 0.01) level within and between the various treatment groups. However, overall values were higher in control samples. Similarly, shear force value was significantly (p < 0.05) higher for control compared to treated samples. The significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in various sensory attributes of goat meat curry and pressure treated cooked meat curry was highly preferred followed by cucumis powder, citric acid and control samples.