title: Utility of immunohistochemical identification of muscle proteins in microstructural studies of comminuted meat products.
abstract: A series of experiments was conducted in an attempt to immunohistochemically identify specific muscle proteins in raw bovine muscle, meat batters and finely comminuted meat products. Three different antibodies were investigated-monoclonal anti-actin (IgG), polyclonal anti-desmin (IgG) and polyclonal anti-myoglobin (IgM). In addition, the fluorescent compound nitrobenzooxadiazole (NBD)-phallacidin was tested. The utility of the antibody anti-desmin proved to be poor. Anti-myoglobin and NBD-phallacidin were useful in muscle tissues that had been technologically treated to a limited extent. Anti-actin reacted with actin present in raw muscle tissue, in muscle samples comminuted with and without additives and in muscle samples that had been comminuted with additives and subsequently heated to 80°C and 115°C. However, its reactivity was markedly more distinct in raw than in processed samples. The utility of current immunohistochemical techniques to study the microstructure of processed meats seems to be limited due to the rapid denaturation of the specific muscle proteins.
authors: Department of the Science of Food of Animal Origin, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Utrecht, PO Box 80 175, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: M H
authors: MH
authors: Zijderveld
authors: P A
authors: PA
authors: Koolmees