Protease activity higher in postmortem water buffalo meat than Brahman beef

Area of Science:

• Meat science
• Biochemistry
• Animal science

Background:

• Previous studies indicated water buffalo meat is more tender than Brahman beef.
• The underlying biochemical mechanisms contributing to this tenderness difference require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare protease activity between water buffalo and Brahman beef.
• To identify the specific proteases responsible for differences in meat tenderness.

Main Methods:

• Slaughtering of crossbred water buffalo and cattle at 30 months of age.
• Sampling of Longissimus thoracis muscle for protease activity assays.
• Analysis of protease activity, calpain inhibitor effects, and calpain/calpastatin expression via Western blotting.

Main Results:

• Water buffalo meat exhibited significantly higher protease activity compared to beef (P<0.05).
• Calpain inhibitor 1 effectively inhibited protease activity, indicating the involvement of calpains.
• No significant differences were found in calpastatin activity or the expression levels of calpains and calpastatin.

Conclusions:

• Elevated calpain activity in postmortem water buffalo meat contributes to its superior tenderness compared to beef.
• Protease activity, specifically calpains, plays a crucial role in determining meat tenderness differences between species.