title: Species and muscle differences in L-carnitine levels in skeletal muscles based on a new simple assay.
abstract: We have adapted the enzymatic method [Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 176 (3) (1991) 1617] for the safe and rapid assay of L-carnitine (L-CA) in skeletal muscle using a microplate reader. The concentration of L-CA in fresh semitendinosus muscle from broiler chicken, pig, beef cattle, deer, horse and goat muscle were 0.69, 1.09, 1.86-3.57, 4.57, 4.95 and 11.36 μmol/g wet weight, respectively. The animals which had higher concentration of L-CA, also had the highest amounts of myoglobin as an index to the redness of the muscle. Furthermore, we investigated this relationship between white muscle, M. pectoralis profundus, and red muscle, M. soleus, in laying hens. The L-CA and myoglobin concentration in red muscle were significantly higher than those in white muscle (p<0.01). These findings suggest that L-CA concentration in muscle is related to oxygen metabolism and to myofiber types.
authors: Meat Science Laboratory, School of Agriculture, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors: Kenichiro
authors: K
authors: Shimada
authors: Yoshinori
authors: Y
authors: Sakuma
authors: Junichi
authors: J
authors: Wakamatsu
authors: Michihiro
authors: M
authors: Fukushima
authors: Mitsuo
authors: M
authors: Sekikawa
authors: Keigo
authors: K
authors: Kuchida
authors: Masayuki
authors: M
authors: Mikami