INFLUENCE OF MUSCLE TYPE, REFRIGERATION STORAGE AND GENETIC LINE ON ANTIOXIDANT ENZYME ACTIVITY IN RABBIT MEAT.

Oxidative processes in meat lead to meat quality deterioration. Meat has endogenous antioxidants and prooxidants. Our objective was to study the activity of the antioxidant enzymes in two different lines of rabbit and its variation through refrigerated storage. Twenty rabbits from two synthetic breeds selected for different criteria (litter size and growth rate) were used in this experiment. The activity of catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) and 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) were measured during 5 days of storage at 4°C in Longissimus dorsi (LO) and the set of muscles of the hind leg (HL). Catalase and GSH-Px activities were higher in HL than in LO. The activity of catalase was stable during refrigerated storage for HL while decreased in LO. GSH-Px was more affected by the refrigerated storage, which decreased its activity in both muscles. No changes were shown in TBARS through the 5 days of storage. There were no differences in the activity of the antioxidant enzymes between the two genetic lines studied.