Effect of Hydrodynamic Pressure Processing and Aging on the Tenderness and Myofibrillar Proteins of Beef Strip Loins*

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of hydrodynamic pressure (HDP) processing and aging on the tenderness and myofibrillar proteins of beef strip loins. Loins (n = 12) were halved at 48 h postmortem and assigned to HDP or control treatments. Following treatment, each half was divided into three portions for aging (0, 5 or 8 days). Samples were removed for Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) determination and myofibrillar protein isolation. HDP decreased (P < 0.0001) WBSF values 23% at 0, 5 and 8 days of aging. Myofibrillar fragmentation and myofibrillar protein solubility increased (P < 0.01) with HDP and aging. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting analysis of myofibrillar proteins showed that HDP and aging decreased the intensity of the troponin T (TnT) band and enhanced the accumulation of the 30 kD TnT degradation product. These data suggest that HDP is more effective than aging tenderization, and that HDP tenderization is caused by both protein degradation and physical disruption of the myofibril apparatus. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSHydrodynamic pressure (HDP) processing was shown to instantaneously tenderize tough cuts of beef to tenderness levels attained following 8 days of * Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Effects of Hydrostatic Pressure Processing on Texture and Color of Zebu Beef

“…Similar results were found by Solomon et al (2006) and Bowker et al (2007Bowker et al ( , 2008, although in those studies, the authors used HDP instead of HPP for generating the pressure pulse. In spite of the differences in the processes and in the meat regarding races and sex, it is worth noting that the pulse generated by a conventional HPP system and not by an underwater explosion system such as in the HDP can lead to similar results and effects.…”

“…In spite of the differences in the processes and in the meat regarding races and sex, it is worth noting that the pulse generated by a conventional HPP system and not by an underwater explosion system such as in the HDP can lead to similar results and effects. Solomon et al (2006) and Bowker et al (2007Bowker et al ( , 2008 reported 29 and 23 % reduction, respectively, in the shear force determined by the Warner Bratzler Shear Force Method (WBSF) in postmortem beef treated with HDP using Brahman cattle. Regardless of the maturation time, these results suggested that the HDP proved to be an effective method to increase tenderness in various meat cuts.…”

“…Previous studies demonstrated the possibility of accelerating tenderization during maturation by initially applying pressure treatment due to changes in the myofibrils structure caused by HPP (Kennick et al 1980;Riffero and Holmes 1983;Locker and Wild 1984;Suzuki et al 1990;Cheftel and Curioli 1997). Solomon et al (2006) and Bowker et al (2007Bowker et al ( , 2008, using the meat of Brahman (B. indicus) cattle, observed that the hydrodynamic pressure processing (HDP), used in short application periods as shock waves, proved to be very effective in improving tenderness in some cuts of meat. The HDP was more effective in reducing shear force when compared to the conventional maturation procedures for tenderization (around 23 and 29 % more effective on average respectively).…”

Tenderization of beef loins using a high efficiency sparker

“…All of the strip loins utilized in this study exhibited a strong aging effect with WBSF decreasing approximately 25-30% with 7 days of aging in both treated and non-treated samples. Given that the strip loins were removed from the carcasses and frozen within 48 h postmortem, prior to substantial aging tenderization, these results were not surprising and are in agreement with data showing that beef strip loins subjected to explosives-derived shockwave treatment undergo postmortem proteolysis and aging tenderization similar to non-treated controls (Bowker, Fahrenholz, Paroczay, Eastridge, & Solomon, 2008). Shockwaves generated by explosives have demonstrated the ability to enhance both the rate and extent of postmortem aging tenderization .…”

Influence of ultrasound and proteolytic enzyme inhibitors on muscle degradation, tenderness, and cooking loss of hens during aging

“…Tenderisation during aging has been mainly ascribed to the proteolytic decomposition of myofibrillar proteins, titin, nebulin, troponin-T, desmin, and filamin (Huff-Lonergan et al 1996), while the most prominent breakdown product is derived from troponin-T (Bowker et al 2008;Chen et al 2011). The presence of a 30 kDa fragment of troponin-T has been found in aged beef (Ho et al 1996), chicken (Mikami et al 1987), pork (Lametsch et al 2002), and lamb (Kuber et al 2003).…”