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Influence of ultimate pH on biochemistry and quality of Longissimus lumborum steaks from Nellore bulls during ageing |
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| Authors: | Clara Lucía Contreras Barón Priscila Robertina dos Santos-Donado Patricia Maloso Ramos Carlos M Donado-Pestana Eduardo Francisquine Delgado Carmen J Contreras-Castillo |
| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Agro-industry, Food and Nutrition, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture – University of São Paulo, P.O. Box 13418-900, Av. Padua Dias 11, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
These authors contributed equally to this work. Contribution: ?Investigation (equal), Methodology (equal);2. Department of Agro-industry, Food and Nutrition, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture – University of São Paulo, P.O. Box 13418-900, Av. Padua Dias 11, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil;3. Department of Animal Science, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture – University of São Paulo, P.O. Box 13418-900, Av. Padua Dias 11, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil Contribution: ?Investigation (equal), Methodology (equal), Writing - review & editing (supporting);4. Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, P.O. Box 05508-900, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 580, São Paulo, SP, Brazil;5. Department of Animal Science, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture – University of São Paulo, P.O. Box 13418-900, Av. Padua Dias 11, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil Contribution: Conceptualization (equal), Supervision (equal), Writing - review & editing (supporting) |
| Abstract: | Ultimate pH (pHu) is an indicator that influences post-mortem meat quality. We studied physiological and biochemical changes of steaks obtained from Nellore bulls (Bos indicus) during post-mortem ageing. To this, Longissimus lumborum (LL) muscles were classified into three groups: Normal-pHu (≤5.79), Intermediate-pHu (5.80–6.29) and High-pHu (≥6.30) groups, portioned into steaks, vacuum packaged and matured at 2 °C for 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. High-pHu steaks exhibited impaired colour stability and were darker compared to the other groups. High- and Normal-pHu steaks showed improved tenderness and myofibrillar fragmentation linked to proteolysis. Intermediate-pHu steaks were associated with a lower meat tenderness and decreased collagen solubility. High-pHu steaks retained a high pH during ageing and increased water-holding capacity. These findings provide evidence that highlight pHu as a strategy for the classification of pHu-dependent beef quality from Nellore bulls that can be adopted by the Brazilian meat industry. |
| Keywords: | Beef non-castrated proteolysis tenderisation |
