title: Color stability and biochemical characteristics of bovine muscles when enhanced with L- or D-potassium lactate in high-oxygen modified atmospheres.
abstract: Two different bovine muscles -M.longissimus lumborum (LD) and M. psoas major (PM) - were injection-enhanced (n=10, respectively) with solutions containing phosphate and potassium L- or D-lactate, cut into steaks, packaged with a high-oxygen (80% O(2)) modified atmosphere packaging, stored 9d at 2°C and then displayed for 5d at 1°C. Instrumental color, total reducing activity (TRA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, and NADH were measured. Enhancement with L-lactate resulted in less color deterioration, and higher a(∗) and chroma values (P<0.05) than non-enhanced control of the bovine muscles. L-lactate enhancement significantly increased NADH concentration and TRA of LD and PM than the non-enhanced control through increased LDH-B flux at 14d. This study presents supportive evidence that the lactate-LDH system remains active for muscles with different metabolic activities and may be a possible mechanism of the lactate-color stabilization effect. Further, L-lactate enhancement can be utilized for improving muscles with lower color stability in high-oxygen modified atmosphere.
authors.affiliation: Meat Science Section, Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, 2471 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-2471, USA.
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Keeton
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Sawyer
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Savell