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STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN ELECTRICALLY STIMULATED BEEF MUSCLE
Author(s) -
SAVELL J.W.,
DUTSON T.R.,
SMITH G.C.,
CARPENTER Z.L.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.1978.tb02553.x
Subject(s) - sarcomere , myofibril , contracture , anatomy , tenderness , longissimus dorsi , materials science , biomedical engineering , chemistry , biophysics , myocyte , biology , zoology , medicine , surgery , endocrinology , biochemistry
ABSTRACT The right sides of five steers were electrically stimulated with 50 impulses of 0.5‐1.0 set duration, 100 volts (machine setting), 5 amps, 50‐60 cycles per set, producing an approximate 440 volt potential difference between electrodes; the left sides were used as untreated controls. Longissimus muscle samples were removed 20‐24 hr postmortem from both sides of each carcass for palatability, cookery and sarcomere length determination as well as for light and electron microscopy. Steaks from electrically stimulated sides were less juicy, more tender and more flavorful, had less organoleptically detectable connective tissue and lower shear force values, and sustained greater cooking losses than did samples from control sides. Mean sarcomere length did not differ significantly between control and electrically stimulated samples. Light micrographs of electrically stimulated samples revealed contracture bands throughout the myofibers along with stretched areas on either side of the contracture bands. Electron micrographs also showed contracture bands along with physical disruption of the myofibrils on either side of the bands. These data suggest that electrical stimulation (performed in the manner described here) may improve tenderness by physical disruption and the formation of contracture bands and not by prevention of cold shortening.