Effects of maturation upon biochemical and histological characteristics of bovine muscle

Abstract

Data from 34 wholesale bovine ribs obtained from animals ranging in age from 370 to 731 days were utilized to study those physical, chemical, histological and palatability characteristics which may be related to physiological maturity and chronological age. As chronological age Increased only small differences were found in carcass maturity, marbling and U.S.D.A. final grade. Increasing animal age was related to increasing fiber diameter and greater concentrations of total pigment and myoglobin. An increase in total pigment and myoglobin was evident after the animals reached 457 day of age which suggests that physiological maturation had not been reached by this time. Collagen content and relative solubility of collagen showed no relationship to either chronological age or physiological maturity. In a study of the concentration of eight cations in muscle tissue, only zinc was significantly related to chronological age. In general, little increase in mineral concentration was evident suggesting that a mineral balance had been attained even in the youngest age group. Based upon these data there is evidence that physiological maturation had been reached at 570 hays of age. Chronological age was associated with all palatability characteristics. Tenderness, flavor and juiciness were all more desirable as the animals became older. One would conclude that in the present study these characteristics were more greatly influenced by breed and genetic factors rather than animal age. The small number of animals and heterogeneity of the population may have been responsible for this finding. Animal age, carcass maturity and marbling accounted for 39% of the variation in tenderness, of the variation in juiciness, 38% of the variation in flavor and 40% of the variation in overall satisfaction.