Composition, solubility and gel properties of salt soluble proteins from two bovine muscle types

The composition, pH solubility profile and thermal gelation behavior of two bovine muscles, vastus intermedius (VI, predominately red fibers) and semimembranosus (SM, predominantly white fibers) were compared. VI had a higher fat content and pH and lower protein content than SM. Between pH 5.2 and 5.8, the salt soluble proteins (SSP) from SM were more soluble than those from VI at the same pH, whereas solubilities above pH 6.0 were similar. Properties of SSP gels were measured at pH 5.5 and 6.1, the ultimate pH for SM and VI, respectively. Water lost from the VI gels due to syneresis was about 3 times greater than that lost from SM gels. VI gels prepared at pH 5.5 were firmer (p<0.05) than at pH 6.1, whereas deformability of SM gels at pH 6.1 were greater (p<0.05) than at pH 5.5. No differences (p>0.05) were observed between the firmness or deformability of VI or SM gels when compared at the same pH. Results suggest that ultimate muscle pH and fiber type do influence the properties of bovine SSP gels, although the effect is not as great as that previously reported for poultry muscle proteins.