title: Pressure-induced pH and length changes in muscle.
abstract: The response to increase in pressure of pre- and post-rigor muscle strips supporting a load has been investigated by measuring length changes with application of pressure up to 150 MPa in a windowed pressure vessel. The response of the pre-rigor strips depended on temperature; at 30°C the strips contracted, then, after some minutes, lengthened, presumably because of a breakdown of myofibrillar integrity. At 0°C the cold-shortened muscle lengthened but if pressure was released the strips shortened again. Loaded post-rigor muscle strips lengthened with application of pressure. It is suggested that the conditions that prevail in pre-rigor muscle are not as favourable for disaggregation of the myofilaments as those in post-rigor muscle. Measuresurement of pH changes in pre-rigor pressure-treated muscle showed these were accelerated at 30°C, but completely inhibited by treatment at 0°C for 3 or 24h.
authors: CSIRO Division of Food Research, Meat Research Laboratory, Cannon Hill, Queensland, 4170, Australia.
authors: J J
authors: JJ
authors: Macfarlane
authors: I J
authors: IJ
authors: McKenzie
authors: R H
authors: RH
authors: Turner