Beef Muscle Research Articles

Effect of sous vide cooking and ageing on tenderness and water-holding capacity of low-value beef muscles from young and older animals

This study investigated the effect of the age of the animal, sous vide cooking and ageing on tenderness and water-holding capacity of bovine biceps femoris (BF) and semitendinosus (ST). Samples of each muscle from young (<18 months) and older (30–42 months) animals, at 0 and 13 days ageing, were cooked at 55 °C, 65 °C, and 75 °C for 1 h, 8 h and 18 h and tested for Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), cooking loss, total water content and collagen solubility. WBSF reduced with ageing (P < 0.05) and sous vide cooking (P < 0.001) in both muscles. Our results demonstrated that meat from older animals required a higher temperature (75 °C) and prolonged cooking (18 h) to achieve equal tenderness in both BF and ST relative to young animals. Cooking time, temperature and their interaction altered cooking loss (P < 0.001) for both muscles. The higher cooking temperature increased collagen solubility (P < 0.001) in both muscles and solubilisation of collagen may have contributed to improved tenderness of BF and ST in sous vide cooking.

Carcass and non-carcass characteristics of Bunaji (White Fulani) cattle

Offal parts and carcass component data from 40 Bunaji bulls bought from open market and culled from the herds were slaughtered for beef at the meat laboratory of the National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) were used to determine the carcass components and Offal yield of bunaji cattle. Dressing percentages of the caule ranges between 53.05±1.44 and 51.03±0.23 for the bulls and cows respectively. The differences were not significant (P&gt;0.05). The bulls have significantly (P&lt;0.05) heavier live weight, carcass weight, quantity of beef and hump muscles than cows. On the average the bulls gave 119.03±3.22kg of beef compared to 110.77±7.22kg of boneless beef produced by the cows. This value represented about 65.55±0.51 and 63.8±1.14% of the carcass weight of the bulls and cows respectively. The bulls have significantly (p&lt;0.05) heavier external offal (54.75±1.72kg) than the cows (43.38±2.44kg). These represented about 17.28±0.23 and 15.28±0.71% of the live weight of the bulls and cow's respectively. The total internal offal (liver, kidney, heart, spleen, lungs, trachea, stomach and intestines) are similar (P&lt;0.05) between the bulls and cows and represented about 5.25±0.15 and 6.75±0.34% of the carcass weight of the bulls and cows respectively. The results of this study show that the File Fulani cattle compared favorably with other African breeds in terms of carcass and non-carcass output. However, a larger proportion of the weight is in the external offal that are nutritionally of low value.

A Preliminary Investigation of the Contribution of Different Tenderness Factors to Beef Loin, Tri-tip, and Heel Tenderness

Abstract The objective of this study was to identify the relative contribution of tenderness factors for three beef muscles with similar tenderness ratings. Longissimus lumborum (LL), tensor fascia latae (TF) and gastrocnemius (GC) were collected from 10 USDA low Choice beef carcasses and assigned to a 5 or 21 days aging period (n = 60). Sarcomere length, troponin-T degradation, collagen content, mature collagen crosslink density, intramuscular lipid content and trained panel analysis were measured. Correlation and multivariate regression analysis indicated each muscle has a specific tenderness factor that contributed to the overall tenderness evaluated by trained panelists. The equations indicated LL tenderness was driven by lipid content (P

Evaluation of conjugated linoleic acid and other health-related lipid components in raw, boiled and smoked beef

Conjugated octadecadienoic (C18 :2) Linoleic Acid (CLA) if not destroyed by heat during processing can be beneficial to health. About 100g of Longissimus dorsi Beef Muscle (LDBM) each was trimmed of external fat and connective tissues and used for this study. Samples were spiced, group into 3 of N=10 samples per group and treated as raw (control), boiled and smoked to internal temperature of 76.1ºC. Samples did not show significant difference (p &gt; 0.05) in the amount of CLA content which had values of 0.60% and 0.40% for boiled and smoked samples respectively. However, these values were different from the raw sample with a value of 2.39 ± 0.01. Boiled samples preserved the total beneficial lipids of CLA, PUFA, MUFA and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids more than smoked samples. The major fatty acids found in the muscle analyzed are palmitic (C16 :0), stearic (C18 :0) and octadecenoic (C18 :1). Omega 3 fatty acids are 1.05%, 1.16% and 1.30 % for boiled, smoked and raw samples respectively and 4.21%, 6.39% and 12. 87% for omega-6 fatty acids in the same order. Ratios of ? -3/? -6 are 0.25, 0.18 and 0.10 for boiled, smoked and raw samples respectively. By preserving the beneficial CLA, the Nigerian traditional high temperature moist-cooking method should not pose any risk in processing beef. Our internal cooking temperature of 76.1ºC for the boiled and smoked beef conforms to USDA cooking temperature for a 'well done' beef.

Simultaneous determination of alachlor and its metabolites in beef muscle, liver, milk, and egg by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

AbstractAlachlor is a chloroacetanilide herbicide used to control annual grasses in grazing system and has been observed along with its metabolites in animal foodstuffs. Its residue violations in animal foodstuffs are increasing significantly and therefore, useful and efficient assay is required. In this study, a rapid, useful, routine, and sensitive liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry for simultaneously determining and confirming alachlor and its metabolites (2‐chloro‐N‐(2,6‐diethylphenyl) acetamide, 2,6‐diethylaniline, and 2‐ethyl‐6‐(1‐hydroxyethyl) aniline) in beef muscle, liver, milk, and egg samples was examined. The proposed method uses a simple extraction with methanol followed by dispersive and solid‐phase extraction cleanup. Observably, absolute calibration curves were linear from the limit of quantification to 100 ng/mL (r2 &gt; 0.999). The recovery values fortified at 0.02 and 0.2 μg/g ranged from 70.4 to 107.6% with a relative standard deviation ≤ 7.1%. Alachlor and its metabolites in applied samples from Japanese markets were undetected using developed method. We examined the useful and efficient method and sample preparation scheme for actual and rational process of alachlor's residue.

Effects of differing withdrawal times from ractopamine hydrochloride on residue concentrations of beef muscle, adipose tissue, rendered tallow, and large intestine.

Ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) is a beta-agonist approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a medicated feed ingredient for cattle during the final days of finishing to improve feed efficiency and growth. Maximum residue limits and U.S. FDA residue tolerances for target tissues have defined management practices around RAC usage in the U.S. However, many countries have adopted zero tolerance policies and testing of off-target tissues, presenting a major challenge for international export. Therefore, the objective this study was to determine the necessary withdrawal time among cattle group-fed RAC to achieve residue concentrations below tolerance levels in muscle and off-target tissues. Specifically, both total and parent RAC residues were quantified in muscle, adipose tissue, rendered tallow, and large intestines from animals group-fed RAC and subjected to withdrawal 2, 4, or 7 days before harvest. Ractopamine (parent and total) residues were below the assay limit of detection (< 0.12 ng/g) in all muscle and adipose tissue samples from animals in control groups (no RAC). However, RAC residues were detectable, but below the limit of quantitation, in 40% of tallow and 17% of large intestine samples from control animals. As expected, mean RAC residue concentrations in muscle, adipose tissue, and large intestine samples decreased (P < 0.05) as the RAC withdrawal duration (days) was extended. Irrespective of RAC withdrawal duration, mean parent RAC residue concentrations in muscle, adipose tissue, and large intestine ranged from 0.33 to 0.76 ng/g, 0.16 to 0.26 ng/g, 3.97 to 7.44 ng/g, respectively and all tallow samples were > 0.14 ng/g (detectable but below the limit of quantitation). Results of this study provide a baseline for the development of management protocol recommendations associated with withdrawal following group-feeding of RAC to beef cattle in countries that allow RAC use and intend to export to global markets which may be subject to zero tolerance policies and off-target tissue testing.

PSXII-7 Supplementing beef cattle finishing diets with ruminal protected live yeast affected fatty acid profiles in meat

Abstract Fatty acid (FA) composition in beef is related to beef quality and human health. It was recently reported that feeding active dried yeast (ADY) in finishing bull altered some FA of longissimus muscle. The objective was to evaluate the effects of adding ruminally protected versus non-protected ADY on FA profiles of the pars costalis diaphragmatis (PCD) muscle of beef cattle. Seventy-five Angus steers (initial BW 448 kg) were assigned to a randomized complete block design with five treatments: control (no additives), antibiotics (ANT, 330 mg monensin + 110 mg tylosin/d), ADY (1.5 g/d), encapsulated ADY (EDY, 3 g/d) and combination of ADY and EDY (MDY). The encapsulated ADY consisted of 1.5 g ADY and 2 g capsule. Antibiotics, ADY and EDY were top-dressed to a diet containing 10% barley silage and 90% barley concentrate (DM basis). The PCD samples were collected from cattle at slaughter. Intakes (g/d) of total FA (144), saturated FA (SFA; 41), monounsaturated FA (MUFA, 16) and polyunsaturated FA (PUFA, 87) were not different among treatments. Proportion of SFA (49.0%) and MUFA (48.2%) in PCD did not differ among treatments, whereas the proportion of PUFA was greater (P &amp;lt; 0.05) with EDY (3.0%) and MDY (3.0%) than control (2.4%). The proportion of n-3 FA also tended (P &amp;lt; 0.06) to be greater with EDY (0.49%) and MDY (0.50%) than control (0.41%) and ADY (0.41%). Steers fed EDY and MDY enhanced (P &amp;lt; 0.05) the proportion of linoleic acid (LA n-6) and decosapentaenoic acid (DPA n-3) compared with control. These results indicated that feeding EDY and MDY increased amounts of PUFA, FA n-3, LA n-6 and DPA n-3. Inclusion of encapsulated yeasts to diet might increase the amount of bioactive yeasts reached intestines and result in better utilization of PUFA from the digesta and increase the accumulation in the intramuscular fat.

PSIII-1 A preliminary study to investigate the contribution of different tenderness factors to beef loin, tri-tip and heel tenderness

Abstract The objective of this study was to identify the relative contribution of tenderness factors for 3 beef muscles with similar tenderness ratings. Longissimus lumborum (loin), tensor fascia latae (tri-tip) and gastrocnemius (heel) were collected from 10 USDA choice beef carcasses, fabricated into steaks and assigned to a 5 or 21 d aging period (n=60). Heel had the greatest relative troponin-T degradation %, followed by tri-tip and loin (68.10, 53.42 and 35.01 % respectively; P&amp;lt; 0.01). Tri-tip had the longest sarcomere, followed by heel and loin (3.01, 2.59 and 1.71 µm, respectively; P &amp;lt; 0.01), and heel increased in sarcomere length from 5 to 21 d of postmortem storage (2.49 vs 2.70 µm; P&amp;lt; 0.05). As expected, heel had the greatest collagen content, followed by tri-tip and loin (6.06, 3.98 and 2.76 mg/g of muscle tissue, respectively; P&amp;lt; 0.01), and collagen content decreased for all cuts from 5 to 21 d of postmortem storage (4.64 vs 3.90 mg/g muscle tissue; P&amp;lt; 0.05). Out of the 3 cuts, heel had the highest collagen crosslink density (0.20 mol/mol collagen; P&amp;lt; 0.05), while loin and tri-tip did not differ (0.13 and 0.15 mol/mol collagen, respectively; P &amp;gt;0.05). Collagen crosslink density increased for all cuts from 5 to 21 d of postmortem storage (0.14 vs 0.20; P&amp;lt; 0.01). Heel had lower lipid content than the others (2.68 %; P&amp;lt; 0.01), while tri-tip and loin did not differ in lipid content (8.24 vs. 6.99 %; P &amp;gt;0.05). Loin was ranked by the trained panel to have the highest overall tenderness, while tri-tip and heel did not differ in overall tenderness (P &amp;gt;0.05). The overall tenderness value for heel was positively correlated with troponin-T degradation (P&amp;lt; 0.01). On the other hand, overall tenderness value for loin was negatively correlated with lipid content (P&amp;lt; 0.05), and overall tenderness value for tri-tip was negatively correlated with collagen content (P&amp;lt; 0.05). These results indicated that each beef cut had a unique profile of tenderness contributors.

25 Cooking method and muscle type impact volatile compound development in beef steaks

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the influence of dry heat cookery on beef flavor development of multiple beef muscles. Beef strip loins, top sirloin butts, tenderloins, shoulder clods, and chuck rolls were collected from USDA Low Choice carcasses (Small00-Small100 marbling; n = 20). Subprimals were wet aged in the dark for 21 d at 0 - 4℃. Following aging, subprimals were fabricated into 2.54 cm thick steaks of the following muscles: Gluteus medius (GM), Infraspinatus (IF), Longissimus lumborum (LL\), Psoas major (PM), Serratus ventralis (SV), and Triceps brachii (TB). Steaks were cooked to a medium degree of doneness (71℃) on one of four randomly assigned cooking methods: charbroiler grill (CHAR), clamshell grill (CLAM), convection oven (OVEN), or salamander broiler (SALA). Volatile compound analysis was conducted using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with solid phase microextraction. Data were analyzed as a split plot arrangement, with subprimal serving as the whole plot factor and cooking method serving as the subplot factor. The majority of compounds evaluated were impacted by the cooking method main effect (n = 21), followed by the cooking method × muscle interaction (n = 18), and muscle (n = 12). Charbroiler GM steaks produced the greatest amount of methional, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine, and 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazine compared to all other treatments (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Charbroiler and CLAM steaks produced the greatest concentration of methylpyrazine and trimethylpyrazine, as well as Strecker aldehydes (P &amp;lt; 0.05), indicating that more direct applications of heat increased Maillard product production. Steaks cooked using OVEN and SALA produced more lipid oxidation products, such as alkanes, aldehydes, and lipid derived ketones. Gluteus medius and SV steaks produced the greatest concentration of volatile compounds, with SV steaks producing an increased concentration of lipid derived compounds (P &amp;lt; 0.05) and GM steaks producing a greater concentration of Maillard products (P &amp;lt; 0.05). These data indicate that cooking method has a direct impact on the flavor profile produced by steaks.

The Applicability of Total Color Difference ΔE for Determining the Blooming Time in Longissimus Lumborum and Semimembranosus Muscles from Holstein-Friesian Bulls at Different Ageing Times

This study was conducted to determine the optimal blooming time in beef muscles based on ΔE, and to analyze the effects of muscle type and ageing time on beef color and blooming. Beef color was determined on freshly cut longissimus lumborum (LL, n = 8) and semimembranosus (SM, n = 8) muscles on days 1, 9, and 14 of ageing during 60 min blooming at 5 min intervals. It was found that ΔE0, representing the difference in color between freshly cut muscles and subsequently analyzed samples, supported the determination of the optimal blooming time, which varied across ageing times (15, 20, 25 min for the LL muscle, and 10, 15, 20 min for the SM muscle on days 1, 9, and 14 of ageing, respectively). Beef color was affected by both muscle type and ageing. The values of color parameters increased between days 1 and 9 of ageing. The results may have practical applications because beef should be presented to consumers and restaurant owners approximately 25 min after cutting, when its color has fully developed.

Eating quality of the longissimus thoracis muscle in beef cattle – Contributing factors to the underlying variability and associations with performance traits

The objective was to determine the factors associated with meat tenderness, juiciness, flavour and chewiness in 4791 growing crossbred cattle. Meat quality of bulls was inferior to that of both steers and heifers with little difference between the latter two genders. Angus, Hereford and Belgian Blues had the most tender meat with the Simmental being the toughest albeit the difference was, on average, only 5%. Moderate to strong correlations (r ≥ |0.43|) existed among tenderness, juiciness and flavour although some of the correlations differed by animal gender. Correlations between chewiness and tenderness in the different genders varied from −0.81 to −0.74 while the correlations between chewiness and the other sensory traits varied from −0.54 to −0.09. The (partial) correlations between each of the four sensory metrics and all of carcass weight, carcass conformation and carcass fat score were ≤|0.09| with most not being different from zero. Correlations between the sensory traits with growth rate, muscle depth, feed intake and efficiency were all ≤|0.08| and mostly not different from zero.

Lateral Flow Immunoassay to Detect the Addition of Beef, Pork, Lamb, and Horse Muscles in Raw Meat Mixtures and Finished Meat Products.

A lateral flow immunoassay for sensitive detection of skeletal troponin I (TnI) as a specific, thermostable marker of muscle tissue was developed. Due to the antibodies’ choice, the assay specifically detects mammalian TnI (in beef, pork, lamb, and horse) but does not detect bird TnI (in chicken or turkey), thus enabling differentiation of these types of raw meat materials. The assay is based on a sandwich format of the analysis using gold nanoparticles as labels. The time of the assay is 15 min, and the TnI detection limit is 25 ng/mL. A buffer solution is proposed for efficient extraction of TnI from muscle tissues and from finished meat products that have undergone technological processing (smoking–cooking–smoking, cooking and smoking). The possibility of detecting beef addition in minced chicken down to 1% was demonstrated.

Insights into Digestibility and Peptide Profiling of Beef Muscle Proteins with Different Cooking Methods.

This study aimed to investigate theeffects of sous vide (SV), boiling (BO), and roasting (RO) on beef protein digestibility and peptide profiling in simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The results indicated that beef samples treated with SV had higher (p < 0.05) gastrointestinal digestibility (34.97%) than those treated with BO (27.59%) and RO (24.36%). Furthermore, SV (2450) resulted in more types of peptides released during gastrointestinal digestion than BO (2077) and RO (1896) and a higher proportion of 400-1200 Da peptides. The significant increase of carbonyl content, the decrease of sulfhydryl content, and the formation of covalent bonds coupled with the transformation of protein secondary structure from α-helix to β-sheet suggested that excessive protein oxidation and aggregation occurred in BO and RO samples. These changes in BO and RO samples might explain the decreased protein digestibility and peptide release in gastrointestinal digestion. Thus, SV is a promising cooking method to improve beef protein digestibility.

Fatty acid composition and oxidation in beef muscles as affected by ageing times and cooking methods

This study aimed to determine how ageing and cooking, each one applied to the beef meat most suitable (pan-fried or grilled ribeye steak, braised chuck and fried or roasted rump steak), induce changes in lipid content, fatty acid (FA) composition and lipid oxidation of muscles from 16 cattle representative of animals raised for France meat production. The fattiest muscle (ribeye) was the richest in saturated and monounsaturated FA leading to poor nutritional indexes. In contrast, the leanest muscle (rump) had the highest proportion of polyunsaturated FA and the highest levels of peroxidation without exceeding critical limits. The impact of cooking methods seemed mainly linked to the moisture loss increasing meat fat content and the culinary fat addition whose FA composition marked the meat. Cooking methods induced oxidation phenomena that could exceed the limit thresholds. In conclusion, short cooking time of rump steak was the best combination to meet nutritional expectations.

Synergistic effects of Lactobacillus plantarum and Staphylococcus carnosus on animal food components

Introduction. Various cultures of microorganisms have recently been used to accelerate technological processes. In this regard, it appears highly relevant to study the action of beneficial microorganisms on the components of food systems.&#x0D; Study objects and methods. The study objects included a model mixture of beef muscle and pork fat tissue with 2% salt, as well as a model protein. Lactobacillus plantarum and Staphylococcus carnosus were used in an amount of 1×107 CFU/g of raw material. The compositions of free amino and fatty acids, carbohydrates, and other components were analyzed by liquid and gas chromatography with mass-selective detection.&#x0D; Results and discussion. We studied the effect of L. plantarum and S. carnosus on protein, lipid, and carbohydrate components of food systems based on animal raw materials. We found that the combined effect of the cultures was by 25% as effective as their individual use at 4×109 CFU/kg of raw material. The three-week hydrolysis of proteins to free amino acids was almost a third more effective than when the cultures were used separately. The synergistic effect of L. plantarum and S. carnosus on fat components was not detected reliably. Free monosaccharides formed more intensively when the cultures were used together. In particular, the amount of free lactose almost doubled, compared to the cultures’ individual action.&#x0D; Conclusion. We described culture-caused quantitative changes in the main components of animal-based food systems: amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, and basic organic compounds. Also, we identified substances that can affect the taste and aroma of final products when the cultures are used together or separately. These results make it possible to obtain products with a wide variety of sensory properties.

Effects of sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium pyrophosphate on the ultrastructure of beef myofibrillar proteins investigated with atomic force microscopy

Myofibrillar protein isolated from beef muscles were treated with 3 phosphates (Sodium Hexametaphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium pyrophosphate) with different concentrations of 0.3%, 0.6%, 0.9%, 1.2% respectively. Protein solubility, surface hydrophobicity and reactive sulfhydryl group was determined. Atomic force microscopy was used to observe the microscopic protein surface. SDS-PAGE was carried out to determine the proteolysis of myofibrillar protein. The solubility and surface hydrophobic bond of myofibrillar protein was highly increased and the diameter decreased by SHMP, TSPP, STPP. Reactive sulfhydryl groups increased after SHMP addition, but slightly decreased in STPP and TSPP treated MP. TSPP and STPP had the same effect on myofibrillar microstructure and was different from SHMP. Three phosphates all caused MP unfolding. The MP gel complexity was increased, and roughness was decreased after phosphates addition, indicating phosphates helped to construct a more ordered and smoother gel microcosmic surface.

Visible and Near-Infrared Multispectral Features in Conjunction with Artificial Neural Network and Partial Least Squares for Predicting Biochemical and Micro-Structural Features of Beef Muscles.

The objective of this study was to determine the potential of multispectral imaging (MSI) data recorded in the visible and near infrared electromagnetic regions to predict the structural features of intramuscular connective tissue, the proportion of intramuscular fat (IMF), and some characteristic parameters of muscle fibers involved in beef sensory quality. In order to do this, samples from three muscles (Longissimus thoracis, Semimembranosus and Biceps femoris) of animals belonging to three breeds (Aberdeen Angus, Limousine, and Blonde d’Aquitaine) were used (120 samples). After the acquisition of images by MSI and segmentation of their morphological parameters, a back propagation artificial neural network (ANN) model coupled with partial least squares was applied to predict the muscular parameters cited above. The results presented a high accuracy and are promising (R2 test > 0.90) for practical applications. For example, considering the prediction of IMF, the regression model giving the best ANN model exhibited R2P = 0.99 and RMSEP = 0.103 g × 100 g−1 DM.

Influence of oxidation on heat shock protein 27 translocation, caspase-3 and calpain activities and myofibrils degradation in postmortem beef muscles

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of oxidation on heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) and cytochrome c translocation, myofibrils degradation and endogenous enzymes activities, perfecting tenderization mechanism after slaughter. Bovine muscle (longissimus thoracis) was obtained at 30 min postmortem. Bovine muscle was cut and exposed to saline solution with or without H2O2 at 4 °C for 0.25, 1, 3 and 5 days, followed by detection of proteins degradation, location and enzymes activities. Results showed that oxidation promoted the translocation of HSP27 and cytochrome c from the cytoplasm to the cell membrane, which reduced µ-calpain activity, but increased caspase-3 activity through mediating the interaction with the two enzymes. Oxidation retarded troponin-T degradation, but accelerated desmin degradation, which is probably because oxidative modification of myofibrils induced different susceptibility to proteolysis. Therefore, oxidation leads to different regulatory mechanism on µ-calpain and caspase-3, as well as the degree of degradation of myofibrillar proteins, possibly through mediating HSP27 and cytochrome c.

A preliminary investigation of the contribution of different tenderness factors to beef loin, tri-tip and heel tenderness

The objective of this study was to identify the relative contribution of tenderness factors for three beef muscles with similar tenderness ratings. Longissimus lumborum (LL), tensor fascia latae (TF) and gastrocnemius (GC) were collected from 10 USDA low Choice beef carcasses and assigned to a 5 or 21 days aging period (n = 60). Sarcomere length, troponin-T degradation, collagen content, mature collagen crosslink density, intramuscular lipid content and trained panel analysis were measured. Correlation and multivariate regression analysis indicated each muscle has a specific tenderness factor that contributed to the overall tenderness evaluated by trained panelists. The equations indicated LL tenderness was driven by lipid content (P < .05); TF tenderness was driven by collagen content (P < .05). GC tenderness was driven by proteolysis (P < .01), and only collagen content can be casually used as an overall tenderness predictor for all three cuts.

Correlations between the levels of the bioactive compounds and quality traits in beef loin and round during cold storage

In this study we investigated the meat quality characteristics, bioactive compound content, and antioxidant activities during cold storage (at 4 °C) of beef loin (n = 70) and round (n = 42) for 19 days. Subsequently, we estimated the correlation between the levels of the bioactive compounds and the quality traits. The beef quality degraded with time, with an increase in aerobic plate counts (APC) and reduction in redness (a*) and sensory properties. The results revealed distinctive features of the two cuts that significantly differed for their proximate compositions in addition to other quality parameters. The quality traits, including the sensory properties, were observed to be altered during storage. Moreover, the levels of bioactive compounds, including CoQ10, l-carnitine, carnosine, anserine, creatine, and creatinine, were higher in the beef round than in the loin, and their levels were found to be influenced by the storage conditions. During storage, contents of carnosine and anserine in loin and round were shown to be positively correlated with tenderness, a*, yellowness (b*), and sensory characteristics (0.614 ≤ r ≤ 0.909) and negatively correlated with APC (−0.541 ≤ r ≤ −0.758). However, creatinine levels in loin and round increased during storage and showed a negative correlation with tenderness, a*, b*, and sensory characteristics (−0.596 ≤ r ≤ −0.969) and a positive correlated with APC (0.540 ≤ r ≤ 0.887). The antioxidant activities of loin and round were positively correlated with carnosine and anserine (0.572 ≤ r ≤ 0.931). This study provides novel insights into the correlation between beef quality traits and bioactive compounds in two beef muscles during cold storage and could be used for the evaluation of beef meat quality.