• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.898-904
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• 2006

Effects of sodium bicarbonate (SBC) injection on meat quality and functionality of porcine M. longissimus lumborum were investigated. Fifteen pigs ($100{\pm}5kg$) were randomly selected at a commercial slaughter plant. After slaughtering the loins were dissected from the carcass before chilling at approximately 30 minutes post mortem. The loins were divided into four cuts for sample treatment, and SBC of 0.25 M, 0.40 M and 0.75 M was injected (2% w/w) using a syringe. As SBC injection level was increased, muscle pH increased significantly (p<0.05). SBC injection decreased lightness ($L^*$) values on the surface of muscle. Moreover, with injection of SBC, drip loss %, cooking loss % and shear force were significantly (p<0.05) decreased, whereas WHC and $Na^+$ content were significantly (p<0.05) increased. From panel testing of uncooked pork loin, no significant differences (p>0.05) were found in aroma, off-flavor and drip between injection of SBC at different levels and the control, although color and acceptability were significantly lower (p<0.05) in control pork loin compare with injection of SBC at 0.75 M. In cooked pork loin from the panel test, aroma, flavour, off-flavour and juiciness were found to be similar (p>0.05) on all treatments, but tenderness and acceptability were significantly higher (p<0.05) with injection of SBC at 0.75 M than for control loin. Myofibrillar protein solubility of muscles treated with SBC was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of the control, although no significant differences (p>0.05) were found in sarcoplasmic protein solubility between the treatments. These results indicated that SBC injection into pre-rigor porcine M. longissimus lumborum could improve ultimate pork quality characteristics such as meat color, water-holding capacity, and could inhibit muscle protein denaturation due to an increase in muscle pH.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.58 no.8
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• pp.31.1-31.8
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• 2016

Background: Plasma protein hydrolysates have been shown to possess antioxidant activity. However, no report has yet to examine the antioxidant effects of injection of plasma protein hydrolysates on meat quality. Therefore, in this study, the effects of injection of hydrolysis plasma protein solution on meat quality and storability were investigated in porcine M. longissimus lumborum. Methods: Twelve pigs were randomly selected at a commercial slaughter plant and harvested. Dissected loins were injected with one of five solutions: C- control (untreated), T1- 10 mM phosphate buffer solution (PBS), T2- 10 mM PBS with 0.01 % butylated hydroxytoluene, T3- 10 mM PBS with 5 % plasma proteins, and T4- 10 mM PBS with 5 % hydrolysis plasma proteins. Results: T3 and T4 induced greater reduction in protein content of the loin muscle than other treatments. T2 resulted in the lowest pH as well as highest cooking loss. After a storage period of 3-7 days, both lightness and redness of meat were unaffected by all injection treatments. However, yellowness was significantly elevated by treatment with T4 relative to the control. T4 also resulted in the lowest shear force (a measure of meat toughness), suggesting improvement of texture or tenderness. Further, T4 resulted in the most stable TBARS values during storage, indicating that this treatment might retard rancidity in meat. Conclusion: Injection of porcine M. longissimus lumborum with hydrolysis plasma protein solution could improve overall pork quality, including tenderness and storability.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.780-786
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• 2017

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between muscle fiber characteristics, intramuscular fat (IMF) content, and fatty acids composition in longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle from Hanwoo steers. The LL muscles were obtained from four quality grades (QG) carcasses and subjected to histochemical analysis. There were significant (p<0.05) differences in fiber number percentage (FNP) and fiber area percentage (FAP) of muscle fiber types among muscles from four QGs. Both FNP and FAP of type I increased while those of type IIB decreased with increasing QG from QG 2 to QG $1^{{+}{+}}$ (p<0.05). Also, with increasing QG, the saturated fatty acid (SFA) proportion decreased while monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) increased significantly (p<0.05). IMF content was positively correlated with both FNP and FAP of type I, but negatively correlated with those of type IIB. The proportions of SFA and MUFA were significantly (p<0.001) correlated with both type I and IIB composition. These results implied that muscle fiber type composition is an important factor influencing fatty acid composition in LL muscle of Hanwoo steer.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.515-529
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• 2018

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of calpain system on the formation of volatile flavor compounds in Hanwoo beef. In the first experiment (exp.1), Longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle samples were injected with solutions containing 50 mM $CaCl_2$ or 50 mM $ZnCl_2$ and 154 mM NaCl respectively, and aged for 7 d at $4^{\circ}C$. In the second experiment (exp.2), the ground LL muscle was incubated with the aforementioned solutions containing cathepsin inhibitor. The injection with $CaCl_2$ solution greatly elevated the calpain activity and concomitantly, significantly decreased the Warner-Bratzler shear force (p<0.05). The pH, meat color and cooking loss did not differ (p>0.05) between the treatment groups. A total of 51 volatile compounds were identified using the solid phase microextraction with gas chromatography (SPME-GC). Results on volatile analyses from the both experiments showed that the injection with calcium ions led to significant increase (p<0.05) concentrations of pyrazines and sulfuric compounds. These results coincide with a higher rate of protein degradation due to the $CaCl_2$ injection as compared to the control group. Significantly (p<0.05) higher levels of lipid oxidation derived-aldehydes were found in the samples with $ZnCl_2$. The exp.1 showed that cathepsin inhibitors had no effect on the formation of volatile flavor components after 7 d of aging. These results imply that the proteolytic activity of the calpain system is associated with generation of volatile compounds of chiller-aged beef, while the role of cathepsins is likely very limited.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.957-968
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• 2020

The influence of muscle architecture on muscle fiber characteristics and meat quality has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, muscle fiber characteristics on the chop surface of pork loin (M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum, LTL), pennation angle degree, and meat quality were evaluated to understand the pork LTL architecture and its relationship with the loin chop quality. Muscle fiber pennation degree ranged from 51.33° to 69.00°, resulting in an ellipse-shaped muscle fiber on the surface of pork loin chop. The cross-sectional area (CSA) on the sections cut vertical to the muscle length (M-Vertical) was considerably larger (p<0.05) than that on the sections cut vertical to the muscle fiber orientation (F-Vertical) regardless of the fiber type. Pennation angle is positively correlated with CSAs of F-Vertical (p<0.05) and with Warner-Bratzler shear force (r=0.53, p<0.01). Besides the shear force, lightness and pH were positively correlated with the fiber composition and CSA of IIX fiber (p<0.05); however, the redness, yellowness, drip loss, and cooking loss were not correlated with the pennation angle and muscle fiber characteristics on the chop surface (p>0.05). These observations might help us in better understanding pork loin architecture and the relationship between the pennation angle, muscle fiber characteristics, and meat quality of pork loin chop.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.455-462
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the carcass characteristics and nutritional composition of longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle of domestic steer beef (Hanwoo and Holstein born and raised in Korea) and imported beef (Angus imported from Australia, raised for about 6 months in Korea). A total of twelve steers (4 steers per each breed and quality grade 2) were slaughtered, LL muscles were separated and stored at $4^{\circ}C$ for 7 days. The pH values of Holstein meat were notably higher than those of Hanwoo, and WHC values were similar between Hanwoo and Holstein, but Angus showed some differences. The WHC of the LL muscle from Hanwoo was better than those from Holstein and Angus when stored for fourteen days. The CIE $a^*$, $b^*$, and $h^0$ values of the LL muscle from Hanwoo were significantly higher than those of Angus at day 7 (p<0.05). Oxymyoglobin and metmyoglobin contents were not significantly different among three breeds at days 7 and 14. In the intra-muscular fat contents, the LL muscle of Hanwoo was significantly higher than Holstein, whereas the moisture and ash contents tended to be lower than the others. In mineral contents, P and Zn contents in the LL muscle of Holstein were higher than the other breeds, and K contents was higher in Hanwoo and Holstein meat than Angus.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.474-493
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• 2019

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of an early post-mortem low voltage electrical stimulation (ES) to localized part of carcasses [m. longissimus lumborum (LL) and m. biceps femoris (BF)] and determined the tenderness and flavor compounds of Hanwoo steers (n=16). Carcasses were stimulated within 30 min post-mortem for 60s using 60 volts and muscles aged 2 and 14 d. Degradation of Troponin-T were accelerated by ES and degraded little faster in BF muscle than LL. Level of free amino acid content of stimulated and aged muscles was significantly (p<0.05) greater than control for both muscles. Totally 63 volatile compounds were identified by using SPME-GC. The ES treatment significantly (p<0.05) affected the level of 20 volatile compounds of LL as well 15 volatiles in BF muscle along with total amounts of ketones, sulfur containing, pyrazines and furans. Low voltage ES could be applied to reduce the aging time and improve volatile flavor development by increasing important desirable volatile compounds such as 2-methylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazines and 2-acetylthiazole etc. due to released free amino acids from protein degradation.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.624-630
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• 2022

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the expression level of filaggrin-2 (FLG2) in correlation with drip loss. Methods: The muscle samples were randomly taken from a local meat supplier. Samples were taken from Longissimus lumborum muscles to evaluate the drip loss (n = 100). Five muscles per group (low and high drip loss) were selected to evaluate FLG2 mRNA and protein expression levels. Results: mRNA of FLG2 gene was not significantly different in pigs with different levels of drip loss (p>0.05). Statistical analysis revealed that FLG2 protein expression levels were significantly different between the drip loss groups. Western blot revealed that the high drip loss group had higher FLG2 protein expression level than the low drip loss group (p<0.001). Moreover, immunohistochemistry revealed the high signal intensity was on the muscle cell membrane and cytoplasm. Conclusion: FLG2 protein might play roles in drip loss of pork and will provide the basis for information to improving meat quality traits in pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.1014-1018
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• 2004

Relationships between muscle $\alpha$-tocopherol oncentrations and metmyoglobin percentages during display of six muscles, m. serratus ventralis (SV), m. psoas major (PM), m. gluteus medius (GM), m. semimembranosus (SM), m. semitendinosus (ST) and m. longissimus lumborum (LL), of Japanese Black steers slaughtered at 28 months of age were studied. Steers were supplemented with 0, 2,000 and 4,000 mg $\alpha$-tocopheryl acetate/head/day for 28 days prior to slaughter in the VE 0, the VE 2,000 and the VE 4,000 groups, respectively. $\alpha$-Tocopherol concentrations in PM, GM, SM, ST and LL of the VE 2,000 and the VE 4,000 groups were significantly (p<0.05) higher than those of the VE 0 group. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences in $\alpha$-tocopherol concentrations in all muscles between the VE 2,000 group and the VE 4,000 group. The muscle $\alpha$-tocopherol concentrations ($\ell$/g meat) which can retard metmyoglobin formation in muscles were estimated to be 5.3 for SV, 4.5 for PM, 4.2 for GM, 4.0 for SM, 3.6 for ST and 3.5 for LL. The equation to predict color-shelf-life of each muscle from the $\alpha$-tocopherol concentration in each muscle could be obtained.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.723-731
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• 2013

This study provides a comparative analysis of the effects of pre-slaughter penetrative and non-penetrative stunning and post-slaughter stunning on meat quality attributes in longissimus lumborum (LL) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles in heifers. Ten animals were assigned to each of four treatment groups: i) animals were subjected to conventional Halal slaughter (a clean incision through the structures at the front of the upper neck - the trachea, oesophagus, carotid arteries and jugular veins) and post-cut penetrating mechanical stun within 10 to 20 s of the neck cut (Unstunned; US); ii) high power non-penetrating mechanical stunning followed by the neck cut (HPNP); iii) low power non-penetrating mechanical stunning followed by the neck cut (LPNP); and iv) penetrative stunning using a captive bolt pistol followed by the neck cut (P). For each carcass, muscle samples were removed within 45 min of slaughter, portioned and analysed for pH, cooking loss, water holding capacity (WHC), tenderness (WBS), lipid oxidation (TBARS) and color, over a two week storage period. Stunning did not affect pH and cooking loss. Significant differences in water holding capacity, tenderness, lipid oxidation and color were present at different storage time points. HPNP stunning resulted in lower WHC and color values, particularly lightness ($L^*$), higher TBARS values and peak force values compared with those stunned using LPNP, P and US. These adverse effects on quality were mostly encountered in the ST muscle. In conclusion, the meat quality achieved using P, LPNP and US treatments was comparable, and no treatment stood out as considerably better than another.