Post-mortem changes in skeletal muscle connectin

Area of Science:

• Muscle physiology and biochemistry
• Meat science
• Connective tissue research

Background:

• Skeletal muscle properties change significantly after death.
• Understanding post-mortem changes is crucial for meat quality.
• The role of specific proteins in muscle elasticity is not fully elucidated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between connectin and skeletal muscle elasticity during post-mortem ageing.
• To quantify the contribution of connectin to muscle elasticity.
• To understand the mechanism of post-mortem tenderization.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of connectin content in skeletal muscle over time.
• Measurement of muscle elasticity during post-mortem storage.
• Electron microscopy to visualize structural changes.
• Correlation analysis between connectin levels and elasticity.

Main Results:

• Connectin amount decreased with increased post-mortem storage time.
• The rate of connectin decrease varied depending on the muscle source.
• Loss of muscle elasticity correlated with reduced connectin content.
• A network structure between Z discs disappeared as connectin levels reached zero.

Conclusions:

• Connectin forms a continuous net structure contributing approximately 30% to living skeletal muscle elasticity.
• Degradation of connectin is a primary factor in post-mortem muscle tenderization.
• Connectin plays a vital role in maintaining muscle structure and function.