Effect of sexual condition, time on confinement, modified atmosphere, cellular metabolisms and anatomic regions of muscle on the oxidation and other traits of aged beef quality

Author(s)

Alessandra Aparecida Silva

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Pirassununga.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Zootecnica e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZE/BT)
• Defense date: 2014-03-07

Examining board members

Mariza Pires de Melo; Carmen Josefina Contreras Castillo; Eduardo Francisquine Delgado; Saulo da Luz e Silva; Marco Antonio Trindade

• Advisor: Mariza Pires de Melo

Abstract

The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of the castration, time on confinement, cellular metabolism and muscle region on the protein and lipid oxidation, and other traits of beef quality. Eight-four Nellore cattle (steers and bulls), confined for different periods, were used to conduct studies in Longissimus dorsi and Biceps femoris muscles. The latter muscle was divided in two portions: origin (OP) and insertion (IP). In the study of L. dorsi muscle, steaks were packaged under aerobiosis (PVC) and anaerobiosis (vacuum) conditions and aged for 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, and 1, 7, 14 and 21 days, respectively. For this muscle, no differences in oxidative stability [thiols, carbonyls and Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS)] and color between the meat from bulls and steers were found. This could be explained by the lack of differences in initial oxidative status, measured through the activity of the antioxidants enzymes, content of total glutathione and composition of fatty acids, between the sexual conditions. The results also indicated that the oxidation of the steaks vacuum-packaged took about twice more days to start than the steaks under aerobiosis. In the study of Biceps femoris muscle, the animals were slaughtered after 59 and 129 days on confinement and the steaks from OP and IP were aged for 1, 30, 60 and 100 days. The results of the lactate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase enzymes activity showed that the OP has a more oxidative metabolism and the IP has a more glycolytic metabolism. The meat from bulls had lower TBARS and higher lightness (L*), cooking loss (CL) and shear force (SF) in comparison with steers. The OP was more susceptible to protein oxidation (lower thiols) than the IP. Animals confined for 129 days had meat with higher CL when compared to those ones confined for 59 days. The meat from animals confined for 129 days had higher CL and protein oxidation (lower thiols) in regard to the meat from animals confined for 59 days. Differences in oxidative stability between the meat from steers and bulls confined for shorter period disappeared when the animals were confined for larger period. Values of pH and thiols in meat from steers and bulls were affected by the time of aging. Both the sexual conditions had meat with higher pH values at the day 30 of aging and this was kept across the time. The OP had higher values of TBARS at the day 60, CL at the day 100 and SF at the days 30 and 60 of aging when compared to the IP. It was observed an interaction between confinement time and aging time for thiols, TBARS, metmyoglobin, pH, L* and SF. When compared to the animals confined for 59 days, the animals confined for 129 days had: higher oxidation (higher TBARS and lower thiols) at the days 60 and 100 of aging; oxidation of myoglobin (metmyoglobin) slower, since the higher value was obtained at the day 100; lower lightness (L*) in all the times of aging; tender meat (lower SF) at 100 days of aging. The animals confined for 59 days had: higher protein oxidation (lower thiols) and tender meat (lower SF) at 30 days of aging. Overall, all the effects tested such as castration, time on confinement, cellular metabolism and muscle region seemed to influence on the protein and lipid oxidation and other traits of beef quality. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/08565-9 - Impact of protein and lipidic oxidation on the quality attributes from aged beef.
• Grantee: Alessandra Aparecida Silva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate