Any link between integrin degradation and water-holding capacity in pork?

In order to investigate a possible relationship between integrin degradation and water-holding capacity (WHC), integrin was quantified using western blot, and water mobility and distribution was measured by proton NMR T(2) relaxometry at 24h postmortem in pork (n=30) with a large variation in WHC (drip loss varying from 2.8% to 11.3%). Regression analyses revealed correlation coefficients of r=-0.32 (P=0.08) and r=0.40 (P=0.03) for the correlations between the content of integrin determined by western blot analysis and WHC determined as either drip loss or by NMR, respectively. Water mobility and distribution was also measured in 18 meat samples upon 7 days of aging, which revealed a correlation (r=0.54) between integrin content determined by western blot analysis 24h postmortem and the mobility of the myofibrillar water (T(21) relaxation time) at day 7. In contrast, no correlation could be established between integrin content 24h postmortem and WHC at day 7 determined by NMR as the amount of extramyofibrillar water (T(22) population) (r=-0.01). In conclusion, both visualisation by CLSM and quantification of integrin by western blot analyses of suggested that a strong link between integrin degradation and WHC in pork is questionable, whereas integrin degradation seems to have impact on the succeeding development in the mobility of the myofibrillar water.