title: Effect of season on contractile and metabolic properties of desert camel muscle (Camelus dromedarius).
abstract: Thirty fattened one humped desert camels were used to examine the effect of season on contractile and metabolic properties of Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle. Ten camels were slaughtered according to seasons of the year (winter, summer and autumn). Season significantly influenced muscle chemical composition, ultimate pH (pHu) and color. Activities of metabolic enzymes were higher during autumn season compared to summer and winter for phosphofructokinase (+64% compared to both seasons) and for isocitrate dehydrogenase (+35% and +145% in autumn vs. summer and winter, respectively). Quantification of muscle myosin heavy chain isoforms by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis showed only presence of type I and type IIa MyHC in camel muscle and indicated high proportion in winter for type I and in autumn for type IIa with respect to other seasons. Several correlations between different MyHC proportions and enzyme activities were reported. These findings indicated that muscle characteristics in camels are influenced by season.
authors: Dept. of Animal Production, Faculty of Natural Resources & Environmental Studies, University of Kordofan, Sudan. omer.abdelhadi@yahoo.com
authors: O M A
authors: OM
authors: Abdelhadi
authors: S A
authors: SA
authors: Babiker
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Picard
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Jurie
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Jailler
authors: J F
authors: JF
authors: Hocquette
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Faye
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002162:Camelus; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology*; D012621:Seasons