Novel method for determination of myofibril fragmentation post-mortem.

Area of Science:

• Meat Science
• Biophysical Measurement Techniques
• Food Quality Assessment

Background:

• Myofibril fragmentation impacts meat texture and quality.
• Traditional methods for assessing fragmentation can be time-consuming.
• Objective, rapid methods are needed for meat quality evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate multi-angle light scattering (MALS) for determining myofibril fragmentation in pig longissimus dorsi muscle.
• To compare the MALS method with the conventional turbidity method.
• To assess the correlation between MALS-derived particle size distribution and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF).

Main Methods:

• Utilized multi-angle light scattering to measure myofibril particle size distribution in pig muscle homogenates.
• Compared MALS results with those obtained from the turbidity method.
• Employed multivariate data analysis to develop a predictive model for WBSF.

Main Results:

• MALS determined post-mortem changes in pig muscle homogenates without myofibril purification.
• The MALS method proved significantly simpler and faster than the traditional turbidity method.
• A significant correlation (p<0.01) was observed between WBSF and particle size distribution.
• The predictive model for WBSF achieved a root mean square error of 6.1N (10-15% of measured WBSF).

Conclusions:

• Multi-angle light scattering is a rapid and simple technique for estimating myofibril fragmentation.
• MALS provides a valuable tool for objective meat quality assessment, particularly for predicting tenderness.
• This method simplifies sample preparation and analysis compared to existing techniques.