The aim of this work was to compare the oxidative processes occurring in myofibrillar proteins during meat maturation and after an in vitro exposure to different enzymic and nonenzymic oxidative systems. Myofibrils were prepared from bovine Longissimus lumborum and Diaphragma pedialis at day 1 and day 10 post-mortem. Myofibrillar protein oxidation was measured by the carbonyl content, with the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) method, and by (thiol group) SH content with the 2,2‘-dithiobis(5-nitropyridine) (DTNP) method. Polymerization and/or fragmentation of oxidized proteins were estimated by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis using a polyclonal antibody to myosin. Oxidation of myofibrillar proteins is dependent upon the different metal-catalyzed oxidation (MCO) systems. The increase in carbonyl content and also the decrease in SH content of myofibrillar proteins, after maturation of 10 days, were similar to those obtained after a 1 h incubation of myofibrillar proteins in the presence of several MCO systems. Electrophoretic studies showed that myosin was the protein the most sensitive to oxidation, and to a lesser extent, troponin T. Myosin-oxidative products were also detected by Western blot analysis. Keywords: Beef; myofibrillar proteins; protein oxidation; carbonyl content; SH-content; metal-ion catalyzed oxidation system; SDS−PAGE; Western blotting

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Two experiments were conducted on broiler chickens to compare the effect of a new organic Se source, 2-hydroxy-4-methylselenobutanoic acid (HMSeBA; SO), with two practical Se additives, sodium selenite (SS) and Se yeast (SY). The relative bioavailability of the different Se sources was compared on muscle ( pectoralis major) total Se, selenomethionine (SeMet) and selenocysteine (SeCys) concentrations and apparent digestibility of total Se (AD Se ). In the first experiment, from day (d) 0 to d21, Se sources were tested at different supplied levels and compared with an unsupplemented diet (NC). No significant effects were observed on growth performance during the experimental period. However, the different Se sources and levels improved muscle Se concentration compared with the NC, with a significant source effect in the following order: SS , SY , SO (P,0·05). Seleno-amino acids speciation results for NC, SY and SO at 0·3 mg Se/kg feed indicated that muscle Se was only present as SeMet or SeCys, showing a full conversion of Se by the bird. The second experiment (d0 -d24) compared SS, SY or SO at 0·3 mg Se/kg feed. The AD Se measurements carried out between d20 and d23 were 24, 46 and 49 % for SS, SY and SO, respectively, with significant differences between the organic and mineral Se sources (P,0·05). These results confirmed the higher bioavailability of organic Se sources compared with the mineral source and demonstrated a significantly better efficiency of HMSeBA compared with SY for muscle Se enrichment.