title: Omics integrating physical techniques: aged Piedmontese meat analysis.
abstract: Piedmontese meat tenderness becomes higher by extending the ageing period after slaughter up to 44 days. Classical physical analysis only partially explain this evidence, so in order to discover the reason of the potential beneficial effects of prolonged ageing, we performed omic analysis in the Longissimus thoracis muscle by examining main biochemical changes through mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and proteomics. We observed a progressive decline in myofibrillar structural integrity (underpinning meat tenderness) and impaired energy metabolism. Markers of autophagic responses (e.g. serine and glutathione metabolism) and nitrogen metabolism (urea cycle intermediates) accumulated until the end of the assayed period. Key metabolites such as glutamate, a mediator of the appreciated umami taste of the meat, were found to constantly accumulate until day 44. Finally, statistical analyses revealed that glutamate, serine and arginine could serve as good predictors of ultimate meat quality parameters, even though further studies are mandatory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Largo dell'Università, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lana
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Largo dell'Università, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, via Leonardo da Vinci, 44, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dalmasso
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Largo dell'Università, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, via Leonardo da Vinci, 44, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Bottero
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Largo dell'Università, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy. Electronic address: zolla@unitus.it.
authors.forename: Lello
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zolla
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D055432:Metabolomics / Q000379:methods*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods*; D012694:Serine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012694:Serine; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Longissimus dorsi; Meat quality; Metabolomics; Piedmontese Bos taurus; Proteomics