Serratus Ventralis Muscles Research Articles

Biochemical Changes in Myofibrillar Protein Isolates Exposed to Three Oxidizing Systems

The objective of the study was to compare three different oxidizing systems commonly present in muscle foods for their influence on the biochemical properties of muscle proteins. Myofibrillar protein isolate (MPI) prepared from pork serratus ventralis muscle was suspended (30 mg protein/mL) in 15 mM piperazine-N,N-bis(2-ethane sulfonic acid) buffer (pH 6.0). Oxidation was induced by incubating the protein suspension at 4 degrees C for 24 h with (i) a hydroxyl radical-generating system (HRGS: 10 microM FeCl3, 0.1 mM ascorbic acid, and 0.05-5.0 mM H2O2), (ii) a lipid-oxidizing system (LOS: 0.05-5.0 mM linoleic acid and 3750 units of lipoxidase/mL), or (iii) a metmyoglobin-oxidizing system (MOS: 0.05-0.5 mM metmyoglobin). Changes in oxidized MPI were measured as Ca- and K-ATPase activities, formation of protein carbonyls and 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), loss of protein thermal stability, and protein aggregation. The three oxidizing matrixes induced complex MPI changes; for example, the Ca- and K-ATPase activities were altered mainly by low-concentration oxidants, but the changes were unique for each oxidizing system. The carbonyl content in MOS-treated MPI was the highest, while the TBARS production, changes in thermal properties, and loss of the myosin heavy chain were the greatest in HRGS-treated MPIs. Overall, the hydroxyl radical-producing medium appeared to be the most oxidative to myofibrillar proteins under the experimental conditions employed in the study.

Intramuscular tenderness variation within four muscles of the beef chuck1

The i.m. tenderness variation was examined within four beef chuck muscles, the infraspinatus (IF), supraspinatus (SS), triceps brachii (TB), and serratus ventralis (SV). The IF, SS, TB, and SV muscles were cut into 2.5 cm thick steaks perpendicular to the long axis of the muscle. An identification tag was placed on each steak, consisting of a muscle identification number, steak number, and orientation of the steak. Steaks were vacuum-packaged and stored at -22 degrees C until subsequent analysis. Steaks were thawed at 1 degrees C and cooked on electric broilers to an internal temperature of 71 degrees C. One core was removed from each 2.5-cm x 2.5-cm section parallel to the muscle fiber and sheared once to determine Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF). The SS had an overall WBSF mean of 5.43 kg (SD = 2.20 kg) with no tenderness difference (P = 0.43) among steak locations. The IF had an overall WBSF mean of 3.16 kg (SD = 1.01 kg) with no tenderness difference (P = 0.51) among steak locations. The SV had a mean WBSF value of 4.37 kg (SD = 1.27 kg) with tenderness variation (P < 0.05) among steak locations; however, tenderness variations were not dispersed in a discernible pattern. The TB had a mean WBSF value of 4.12 kg (SD = 1.26 kg) with lower (P < 0.05) shear force in the middle region of the TB, and the distal and proximal ends were tougher (P < 0.05). Results of this study provided a reasonably detailed mapping of the tenderness regions within the IF, SS, TB, and SV muscles, and this information could be used to add value to the beef chuck by cutting and marketing consistently tender regions.

Preslaughter handling effects on pork quality and glycolytic potential in two muscles differing in fiber type composition

The objective of the present experiment was to investigate the effects of transportation, lairage, and preslaughter stressor treatment on glycolytic potential and pork quality of the glycolytic longissimus and the oxidative supraspinatus (SSP) or serratus ventralis (SV) muscles. In a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design, 384 pigs were assigned randomly either to short (50 min) and smooth or long (3 h) and rough transport, long (3 h) or short (< 45 min) lairage, and minimal or high preslaughter stress. Muscle samples were taken from the LM at 135 min and from the SSP at 160 min postmortem for determination of the glycolytic potential and rate of glycolysis. At 23 h postmortem, pork quality was assessed in the LM and the SV. Effects of transport and lairage conditions were similar in both muscle types. Long transport increased (P < 0.01) the glycolytic potential and muscle lactate concentrations compared with short transport. Both long transportation and short lairage decreased (P < 0.01) redness (a* values) and yellowness (b* values) of the LM and SV. In combination with short lairage, long transport decreased (P < 0.05) pork lightness (lower L* values), and electrical conductivity was increased (P < 0.05) after long transport. Several interactions between stress level and muscle type (P < 0.001) were observed. High preslaughter stress decreased (P < 0.001) muscle glycogen in both the LM and SSP, but this decrease was greater in the LM. Lactate concentrations were increased (P < 0.001) only in the LM by high preslaughter stress. Increases in ultimate pH (P < 0.001) and decreases in a* values (P < 0.01) were greatest in the SV, whereas increases in electrical conductivity (P < 0.001) were greatest in the LM. The lack of interactions among transportation, lairage, and muscle type was attributed to the relatively minor differences in stress among treatments. It was concluded that, in glycolytic muscle types such as the LM, the high physical and psychological stress levels associated with stress in the immediate preslaughter period have a greater effect on the water-holding capacity of the meat and may promote PSE development. Conversely, oxidative muscle types tend to have higher ultimate pH values and produce DFD pork in response to intense physical activity and/or high psychological stress levels preslaughter.

Histochemical properties of skeletal muscles in Japanese cattle and their meat production ability

ABSTRACTThe compositional characteristics of the three basic types of myofiber, namely type I (slow‐twitch oxidative), type IIA (fast‐twitch oxidative glycolytic) and type IIB (fast‐twitch glycolytic), are clarified in the skeletal muscles of Japanese Black cattle. The myofiber composition, which is characteristic of the muscles of Japanese Black cattle, markedly changes during their growth, when some type IIA myofibers are transformed into type I or IIB, depending on the different muscles. Independent of these changes with growth, inter‐ and intramuscular variations of myofiber type distribution is evident. The small extensor muscles in deep regions around bone contain a lot of type I myofibers, whereas the large muscles at surface regions have many type II myofibers. Japanese Black cattle have typical white muscles such as the Longissimus thoracis and Semitendinosus, containing half the myofibers as red (type I + IIA). The muscles of Japanese Black cattle show a tendency to contain a higher percentage of type I myofibers than other breeds over an intrabreed variation of the myofiber type composition. In the big muscles such as the Longissimus thoracis and Biceps femoris, a great diversity of myofiber type composition is observed among the different regions. When fattened, heifers produce Longissimus thoracis and Biceps femoris muscles of smaller weight than steers, but in heifers the myofiber size in each type is rather larger. In the Psoas major, Vastus lateralis and Serratus ventralis muscles, heifers contain a higher frequency of red (type I + IIA) myofibers with no differences in myofiber size. Among the several muscles of fattened Japanese Black steers, the percentage distribution of type I myofibers has a positive correlation with the percentage amount of intramuscular fat. From these results, the high potential of Japanese Black cattle to produce marbled beef could be based on the histochemical properties of myofibers in their skeletal muscles.

Nutritional myodegeneration associated with dorsal scapular displacement in beef heifers

Scapular displacement due to bilateral rupture of the serratus ventralis muscles ("flying scapula") occurred in four heifers from a large beef herd. Two of the four affected animals were necropsied. Additional animals on the farm developed intermittent lameness when enclosed on certain pastures. The lameness and scapular displacement were attributed to selenium deficiency in the feed and pasture environment. This is the first account of "flying scapula" in the United States.

Respiratory Muscle Activity in Relation to Vocalization in Flying Bats

The structure of the thoracic and abdominal walls of Pteronotus parnellii (Microchiroptera: Mormoopidae) was described with respect to their function in respiration and vocalization. We monitored electromyographic activity of respiratory and flight muscles in relation to echolocative vocalization. In flight, signals were telemetered with a small FM transmitter modified to summate the low-frequency myopotentials with biosonar signals from a ceramic-crystal microphone. Recordings were also made from the same bats confined to a small cage. Vocalizations were used as the parameter by which all muscle activities were correlated. A discrete burst of activity in the lateral abdominal wall muscles accompanied each vocalization. Diaphragmatic myopotentials occurred between groups of calls and did not coincide with activity of the abdominal wall or with vocalizations. Flight muscles were not active in resting bats. During flight, vocalizations and the abdominal muscle activity that accompanied them coincided with myopotentials of the pectoralis and serratus ventralis muscles. We propose that contractions of the lateral abdominal wall provide the primary power for the production of intense biosonar vocalization in flying and in stationary bats. In flight, synchronization of vocalization with activity of the pectoralis and serratus ventralis jointly contribute to the pressurization of the thoraco-abdominal cavity. This utilization of pressure that is normally generated in flight facilitates respiration and allows for the production of intense vocalizations with little additional energetic expenditure.

Kinetic studies of the effect of muscle fiber type and tripolyphosphate on the aggregation of porcine salt-soluble proteins

The kinetics of thermal aggregation of salt-soluble proteins (SSP) isolated from porcine Longissimus dorsi (75% white fiber, Serratus ventralis (43% red fiber, and Vastus intermedius (76% red fiber) muscles were studied in the presence of sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP). SSP solutions containing 0–2·0% TPP were heated at constant temperatures between 40° and 70°C, and protein aggregation was monitored using turbidity measurements. SSP aggregation followed first-order kinetics, and the rate and extent of aggregation increased with the red fiber content. Addition of TPP generally increased the aggregation temperature for both white and red muscle SSP, but the changes in the aggregation rate varied depending on the specific temperature and muscle type. Arrhenius plots revealed 10·2–11·5% reduction in the activation energy for SSP aggregation caused by 0·5% TPP. These results indicate that SSPs from red and white muscle types differ in thermal properties and response to phosphate treatments.

The effect of breed of sire and age at feeding on muscle tenderness in the beef chuck

Steers (n = 59) produced from the mating of Braford, Simbrah, Senepol, and Simmental bulls to Brahman- and Romana Red-sired cows and Brahman bulls to Angus cows were used in this study. Effects of sire breed and age at feeding on muscle tenderness in the major muscles of the chuck when steers were fed to 1.0 cm 12th rib fat were determined. There were no muscle tenderness effects due to sire breed group, with the exception of the serratus ventralis muscle, which was more tender in Brahman- and Braford-sired steers than in Simmental-sired steers. Additionally, the supraspinatus muscle from the yearlings was lower in shear value than that from the calves. The Brahman-sired steers had serratus ventralis muscles with higher percentages (P less than .05) of intramuscular fat than those of Braford-, Simbrah-, and Simmental-sired steers. Fat deposited within the muscle or between muscles in the chuck was not related to muscle tenderness as measured by Warner-Bratzler shear values. Also, percentages of intramuscular fat of the triceps brachii, serratus ventralis, or supraspinatus muscles were not influenced (P greater than .05) by age at feeding.

Electromyography of some respiratory muscles in the horse

To investigate activity in respiratory muscles, insulated wire electrodes were used to record electromyographic activity in the costal diaphragm and in the intercostal, serratus ventralis, internal abdominal oblique, transversalis and rectus abdominis muscles in conscious horses and in the same animals when anaesthetised. Electromyographic activity was related to respiratory phases as recorded by a stethograph around the chest wall. The costal diaphragm showed tonic and inspiratory activity in both conscious and anaesthetised animals. The principal muscle actively involved in expiration was the transversalis muscle. Intercostal muscle activity, and any increased activity in the second part of either inspiration or expiration recorded in the conscious animal, was absent under anaesthesia. The very marked tonic activity found in the serratus ventralis muscle in standing horses disappeared during anaesthesia. It was concluded that any stabilisation of the chest wall contributed by activity in the serratus ventralis and intercostal muscles in conscious, standing horses is greatly reduced during anaesthesia.