LM Steaks Research Articles

The effects of the antioxidant lipoic acid on beef longissimus bloom time.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of lipoic acid (LA) on beef LM steak bloom time, as well-as to characterize bloom time in the CIE L*, a*, and b* color space over a 93-min period. Thirty-two Simmental steers were supplemented with LA for 21 d immediately before slaughter at levels of 0, 8, 16, or 24 mg of LA/kg BW (eight steers per treatment). Lipoic acid was mixed with liquid paraffin, allowed to solidify, prilled, and top-dressed over a standard finishing diet. Steers were slaughtered at the University of Missouri abattoir in four groups of eight (two steers per treatment) over a 2-wk period. After a 24-h chill at 4 degrees C, the right LM was removed from each carcass. One 2.54cm steak was removed from the anterior portion of the LM, and its color characteristics (CIE L*, a*, and b*) were measured immediately with a standardized spectrocolorimeter. Color measurements were taken every 3 min thereafter for a total of 93-min. Hue angle (true red) and chroma (color saturation) were calculated from the color measurements. Addition of LA to the diet had no effect on bloom time (P = 0.67). When treatment means were analyzed, the addition of 24 mg of LA/kg BW to the diet resulted in higher (lighter) L* values (P < 0.05) compared with other treatments, whereas the addition of 16 mg of LA/kg BW to the diet caused lower hue angles (more true red; P < 0.05) when compared with other treatments. Addition of LA to the diet did not affect a* (P = 0.13) and b* (P = 0.18) values or chroma (P = 0.62). In the absence of treatment effects, bloom times for all treatments were pooled, and L* values did not change (P > 0.05) during the 93-min bloom time; however, a* and chroma values increased for 9 min and plateaued after 12 min (P < 0.01). Similarly, b* values increased (P < 0.01) for the first 6 min, and after 9 min, no further increase in yellowness was detected. Bloom time had little effect on hue angle, which stabilized after 3 min. Supplementing steers with the antioxidant LA for 21 d had no effect on the bloom time of beef LM; however, higher levels of supplemental LA affected L* values and hue angles of beef.

Supplemental vitamin D3 concentration and biological type of steers. II. Tenderness, quality, and residues of beef.

Vitamin D3 was orally supplemented to determine the supplemental dose that improved beef tenderness in different cattle breed types. Feedlot steers (n = 142) were arranged in a 4 x 3 factorial arrangement consisting of four levels of supplemental vitamin D3 (0, 0.5, 1, and 5 million IU/steer daily) administered for eight consecutive days antemortem using three biological types (Bos indicus, Bos Taurus-Continental, and Bos Taurus-English). Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) was measured at 3, 7, 10, 14, and 21 d postmortem, and trained sensory analysis was conducted at 7 d postmortem on LM, semimembranosus, gluteus medius, and supraspinatus steaks. Concentrations of vitamin D3 and the metabolites 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 were determined in the LM, liver, kidney, and plasma. Biological type of cattle did not interact (P > 0.10) with vitamin D3 supplementation for sensory or tenderness traits, suggesting that feeding vitamin D3 for 8 d before slaughter affected the different biological types of cattle similarly. Supplementing steers with 0.5, 1, or 5 million IU/(steer(d) decreased (P < 0.05) LM WBSF at 7, 10, 14, and 21 d postmortem compared with controls, and vitamin D3 treatments of 0.5, 1, and 5 million IU decreased (P < 0.05) semimembranosus WBSF at 3, 7, and 14 d postmortem. In general, vitamin D3-induced improvements in WBSF were most consistent and intense in LM steaks. Sensory panel tenderness was improved (P < 0.05) by all vitamin D3 treatments in LM steaks. Sensory traits ofjuiciness, flavor, connective tissue, and off-flavor were not (P > 0.05) affected by vitamin D3 treatments. All vitamin D3 treatments decreased micro-calpain activity and increased muscle Ca concentrations (P < 0.05). Vitamin D3 concentrations were increased (P < 0.05) by supplementation in all tissues tested (liver, kidney, LM, and plasma); however, cooking steaks to 71 degrees C decreased (P < 0.05) treatment residue effects. The vitamin D metabolite 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 was increased (P < 0.05) only in plasma samples as a result of the vitamin D3 treatments. These results indicate that supplementation with vitamin D3 at 0.5 million IU/steer daily for eight consecutive days before slaughter improved tenderness in steaks from different subprimal cuts by affecting muscle Ca concentrations, micro-calpain activities, and muscle proteolysis, with only a small effect on tissue residues of vitamin D3.

Vitamin D3 supplementation of cull cows: Effects on longissimus and semitendinosus muscle tenderness

Previous studies have shown that supplementation of vitamin D3 to cow diets for 4 to 10 d before slaughter lowers Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) values and increases sensory tenderness scores in beef cuts. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of vitamin D3 supplementation on muscle calcium concentration, WBSF values, and sensory tenderness ratings of LM and semitendinosus (ST) muscles from cull, predominately Angus, cows (eight cows per treatment). Treatments included 0 (control), 5 million IU, or 7.5 million IU of vitamin D3 supplemented daily for 7 d preslaughter. Twenty-four hours after slaughter, 2.54-cm-thick LM and ST muscle steaks were cut; aged for either 0, 7, 14, or 21 d (ST steaks aged for 7 d only); and frozen at -20 degrees C for WBFS and sensory analysis. Mean values for LM calcium concentration tended to increase (P = 0.14) with vitamin D3 supplementation (154, 176, and 183 microig/g, fresh basis, for 0, 5, and 7.5 million IU/d, respectively). After 7 d of aging, LM steaks from cows fed 7.5 million IU had lower (P < 0.05) WBSF values than 7-d steaks from controls and cows fed 5.0 million IU/d aged 7 d; however, vitamin D3 supplementation had no (P > 0.05) effect on WBSF values of ST steaks aged 7 d. Vitamin D3 supplementation did not (P > 0.05) affect sensory tenderness ratings for either LM or ST steaks at any aging period. Aging, however, had a linear (P < 0.001) effect on tenderness, with an increase in tenderness as aging time increased from 0 to 21 d. Thus, results from the present study indicate that vitamin D3 supplementation, at these levels and duration before slaughter, provided little benefit to muscle tenderness of beef from cull cows.

VARIATION IN THE TENDERNESS OF BEEF STRIP LOINS AND IMPROVEMENT IN TENDERNESS BY USE OF HYDRODYNAMIC PRESSURE PROCESSING (HDP)1

ABSTRACT Shear force (SF) in 71C broiled steaks was compared along the length of beef strip loins (LM) and between medial and lateral (M&amp;L) portions of individual steaks. A high degree of variation in SF (mean range of 3 kg) existed within individual steaks along the length of the LM. No difference in SF was observed between M&amp;L sections of individual 2.54 cm steaks along the LM. Hydrodynamic pressure (HDP) treatment was employed on the LM to determine if variation in SF could be reduced. HDP treatment led to both a decrease in variation and an improvement in tenderness for both the M&amp;L portions of the steak (within steak) and along the entire LM (within LM). These data show inconsistency in tenderness both along the LM and within each LM steak of control steaks. Furthermore, these data suggest that HDP can increase tenderness and reduce tenderness variation.

Modification of early-postmortem muscle pH and use of postmortem aging to improve beef tenderness.

This study was conducted to determine whether modification of early-postmortem muscle pH and(or) control of postmortem aging time could be used to improve tenderness of strip loin (longissimus, LM), top sirloin (GM), and top round (SM) steaks. Muscle pH, at 1.5 and 3 h postmortem, was modified using three 60-Hz electrical stimulation (ES) treatments (240 V, 35 V, or combined use of 240 and 35 V). Vacuum-packaged sections of the LM, GM, and SM were aged for 6, 12, 18, or 24 d postmortem. Use of ES increased rate of postmortem muscle pH decline and decreased shear force of LM steaks but had no effect on tenderness of GM or SM steaks. Reducing 3-h pH of the LM reduced variability in LM shear force but had little effect on tenderness of GM or SM steaks. However, lower values for 24-h pH of the LM were associated with increased tenderness of all three cuts. Tenderness of all cuts also improved as length of the postmortem aging period was increased. For LM and SM steaks, the greatest improvements in tenderness were achieved by 12 d; however, tenderness of GM steaks continued to increase up to 24 d postmortem.