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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2016, Vol. 15 Issue (7): 1550-1565    DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(16)61340-0
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Sensory quality of meat from eight different types of cattle in relation with their biochemical characteristics
M Gagaoua1, 2, 3, E M C Terlouw1, 2, D Micol1, 2#, J-F Hocquette1, 2, A P Moloney4, K Nuernberg5, D Bauchart1, 2, A Boudjellal3, N D Scollan6, R I Richardson7, B Picard1, 2
1 INRA, UMRH 1213, Unité de Recherches sur les Herbivores, Theix, 63122 Saint Genès Champanelle, France
2 VetAgro Sup, UMRH 1213, Unité de Recherches sur les Herbivores, Theix, 63122 Saint Genès Champanelle, France
3 Equipe Maquav, INATAA, Université Frères Mentouri Constantine, Route de Ain El-Bey, 25000 Constantine, Algeria
4 Teagasc, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland
5 FBN Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, W-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
6 Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Gogerddan, Aberystwyth SY23 3EB, United Kingdom
7 Division of Farm Animal Science, University of Bristol, Langford House, Bristol BS40 5DU, United Kingdom
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Abstract      The present study compared eight breeds of cattle differing in gender (heifers, bulls and steers) to determine associations between muscle characteristics and meat sensory qualities of the Longissimus thoracis muscle. Animal types differed in all the muscle characteristics and sensory qualities. Many correlations among muscle characteristics and among sensory qualities were consistent for most animal types. Isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) activities allowed discrimination of muscles with respect to myosin heavy chain (MyHC)-I proportions for all animal types. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and phosphofructokinase (PFK) activities were positively correlated for most animal types. Overall liking was correlated with beef flavour and abnormal flavour in all animal types and with global tenderness for all animal types except for Charolais cross breed steers. For all animal types except for Angus×Friesian heifers, beef flavour and abnormal flavour were negatively correlated. Overall liking was not correlated with juiciness. PFK, ICDH and citrate synthase (CS) activities were strongly associated with tenderness, beef flavour and overall liking when average values for all animal types were used. However, associations between muscle characteristics and sensory qualities within animal types were weak and inconsistent.
Keywords:  cattle        muscle characteristics        meat sensory qualities        gender        breed        prediction  
Received: 01 July 2015   Accepted:
Fund: 

This study was conducted within the framework of the EU Project ProSafeBeef (FOOD-CT-2006-36241) with INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, France) Quality Assurance number AQ284. The authors thank the colleagues of the Aberystwyth University (UK), Farm Animal Biology, Germany (FBN), Teagasc (Ireland), Bristol University (England), and INRA (France) for their assistance in data collection, the management and slaughter of animals, muscle sampling, biochemical and sensory analyses. They further thank Université Frères Mentouri Constantine and the INATAA Institute, Algeria and the PROFAS B+ program for the financial support given to Dr. Mohammed Gagaoua.

Corresponding Authors:  Brigitte Picard, E-mail: brigitte.picard@clermont.inra.fr    

Cite this article: 

M Gagaoua, E M C Terlouw, D Micol, J-F Hocquette, A P Moloney, K Nuernberg, D Bauchart, A Boudjellal, N D Scollan, R I Richardson, B Picard. 2016. Sensory quality of meat from eight different types of cattle in relation with their biochemical characteristics. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 15(7): 1550-1565.

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