• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.957-968
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• 2020

The influence of muscle architecture on muscle fiber characteristics and meat quality has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, muscle fiber characteristics on the chop surface of pork loin (M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum, LTL), pennation angle degree, and meat quality were evaluated to understand the pork LTL architecture and its relationship with the loin chop quality. Muscle fiber pennation degree ranged from 51.33° to 69.00°, resulting in an ellipse-shaped muscle fiber on the surface of pork loin chop. The cross-sectional area (CSA) on the sections cut vertical to the muscle length (M-Vertical) was considerably larger (p<0.05) than that on the sections cut vertical to the muscle fiber orientation (F-Vertical) regardless of the fiber type. Pennation angle is positively correlated with CSAs of F-Vertical (p<0.05) and with Warner-Bratzler shear force (r=0.53, p<0.01). Besides the shear force, lightness and pH were positively correlated with the fiber composition and CSA of IIX fiber (p<0.05); however, the redness, yellowness, drip loss, and cooking loss were not correlated with the pennation angle and muscle fiber characteristics on the chop surface (p>0.05). These observations might help us in better understanding pork loin architecture and the relationship between the pennation angle, muscle fiber characteristics, and meat quality of pork loin chop.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.358-363
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• 1998

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of previous heating temperature and holding times on the thermal behavior of pork loin muscle by DSC. Pork loin muscles were heated to achieve the following end-point temperatures: 40$^{\circ}C$, 50$^{\circ}C$, 60$^{\circ}C$, 70$^{\circ}C$, 80$^{\circ}C$ at heating rate = 10$^{\circ}C$/min. The first peak was disappeared when samples were initially heated to 50$^{\circ}C$ for 1 minute. As end-point temperature was raised, major peaks were progressively disappeared and peaks were lost completely at 80$^{\circ}C$. Especially, peaks were completely disappeared at 70$^{\circ}C$ for 10 minute. Increasing of exposure time to elevated temperature also increased denaturation, thereby reducing the area of the thermogram.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.494-502
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• 2022

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate functional properties of reduced-salt pork meat products made of pre-rigor pork loin treated by different freezing temperatures (-30℃ and -70℃) during storage. Methods: Pre-rigor cured pork loin with 1.0% added salt was compared to post-rigor muscle added with 1.5% salt for pH, color (L^*, a^*, b^*), cooking loss (CL), expressible moisture, warner-Bratzler shear value, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and volatile basic nitrogen (VBN). Results: Pre-rigor cured pork loins had higher pH and temperature than post-rigor ones as raw meat (p<0.05). pH values were higher for pre-rigor pork loins than those of post-rigor pork loins (p<0.05). Color values did not different among treatments (p>0.05). No color differences were observed during storage period after cooking (p>0.05). The CL (%) of pre-rigor cured pork loins was the lowest when frozen at -70℃. The TBARS and VBN increased from 8 weeks of storage (p<0.05), but no further changed thereafter (p>0.05). Pre-rigor cured pork loins added with 1.0% salt showed similar characteristics to post-rigor pork loins added with 1.5% salt. Conclusion: Cured pork loins could be produced using pre-rigor muscle added with 1/3 of the original salt level (1.5%) and could be stored for up to 4 wks of frozen storage, regardless of a frozen temperature of -30℃ or -70℃ without detrimental effects.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.898-904
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• 2006

Effects of sodium bicarbonate (SBC) injection on meat quality and functionality of porcine M. longissimus lumborum were investigated. Fifteen pigs ($100{\pm}5kg$) were randomly selected at a commercial slaughter plant. After slaughtering the loins were dissected from the carcass before chilling at approximately 30 minutes post mortem. The loins were divided into four cuts for sample treatment, and SBC of 0.25 M, 0.40 M and 0.75 M was injected (2% w/w) using a syringe. As SBC injection level was increased, muscle pH increased significantly (p<0.05). SBC injection decreased lightness ($L^*$) values on the surface of muscle. Moreover, with injection of SBC, drip loss %, cooking loss % and shear force were significantly (p<0.05) decreased, whereas WHC and $Na^+$ content were significantly (p<0.05) increased. From panel testing of uncooked pork loin, no significant differences (p>0.05) were found in aroma, off-flavor and drip between injection of SBC at different levels and the control, although color and acceptability were significantly lower (p<0.05) in control pork loin compare with injection of SBC at 0.75 M. In cooked pork loin from the panel test, aroma, flavour, off-flavour and juiciness were found to be similar (p>0.05) on all treatments, but tenderness and acceptability were significantly higher (p<0.05) with injection of SBC at 0.75 M than for control loin. Myofibrillar protein solubility of muscles treated with SBC was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of the control, although no significant differences (p>0.05) were found in sarcoplasmic protein solubility between the treatments. These results indicated that SBC injection into pre-rigor porcine M. longissimus lumborum could improve ultimate pork quality characteristics such as meat color, water-holding capacity, and could inhibit muscle protein denaturation due to an increase in muscle pH.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.706-711
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• 2009

This study was carried out to compare the growth performance and quality properties of pork from finishing pigs fed different levels of betaine. A total 120 female pigs (Landrace${\times}$Yorkshire${\times}$Duroc) were fed either a control commercial diet or the control diet supplemented with 2, 4 and 6% betaine for 31 days. The average daily feed intake (ADFI) of the 2% diet was lower than of the other treatment groups. The average daily gain (ADG) for pigs fed betaine diets was significantly higher (p<0.05) compared with nonsupplemented diets. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of pigs fed betaine diets was significantly lower (p<0.05) compared with nonsupplemented diets. pH of loin and ham samples were not significantly different between dietary groups, whereas CIE a* (redness) of pork loin was increased by dietary betaine. Also, the shear force value of loin was significantly higher (p<0.05) in pigs given dietary betaine compared with non-supplemented diets, but no significant differences were found in cooking loss by the loin among diets with different levels of betaine (p>0.05). Dietary supplementation with betaine decreased total cholesterol concentrations in blood, and increased saturated fatty acid and decreased unsaturated fatty acid levels in muscle. Pigs supplemented with betaine had increased betaine concentrations in the loin muscle. It was concluded that dietary betaine supplementation of finishing pigs can improve growth performance and reduce blood cholesterol concentrations. It was also concluded that dietary betaine produced detectable betaine concentrations in the lion muscle.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 1999

Phytic acid, making up 1~5% of the composition of many plant seeds and cereals, is known to form iron-chelates and inhibit lipid peroxidation. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), as an indication of lipid peroxidation, were measured in beef round, chicken breast, pork loin, and halibut muscle after the meats were stored for 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days at various temperatures [frozen (~2$0^{\circ}C$), refrigerator (4$^{\circ}C$), and room temperature ($25^{\circ}C$)]. Phytic acid effectively inhibited lipid peroxidation in beef round, chicken breast, halibut, and pork loin muscle (p<0.05). The inhibitory effect of phytic acid was dependent on concentration, storage time, and temperature. At frozen temperature, the inhibitory effect of phytic acid was minimal, whereas at room temperature, the inhibitory effect of phytic acid was maximal, probably due to the variation of the control TBARS values. At the concentration of 10 mM, phytic acid completely inhibited lipid peroxidation in all the muscle foods by maintaining TBARS values close to the level of the controls, regardless of storage time or temperature (p<0.05). The rate of lipid peroxidation was the highest in beef round muscle, although they had a close TBARS value at 0 day. Addition of phytic acid to lipid-containing foods such as meats, fish meal pastes, and canned seafoods may prevent lipid peroxidation, resulting in improvement of the sensory quality of many foods and prolonged shelf-life.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1529-1534
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• 2008

The aim of this study was directed at exploring the possible use of muscle fiber characteristics as new selection traits for improving both porcine lean meat production and quality. A total of 174 (114 Yorkshire, 30 Landrace, and 30 Meishan) pigs were used for this study, and lean meat production ability was estimated by backfat thickness and loin eye area. The Longissimus dorsi muscle was taken in order to measure meat quality and muscle fiber characteristics. Due to the high correlations between total muscle fiber number and most of the performance traits, all pigs were classified into three groups (low, intermediate, or high) by total muscle fiber number using cluster analysis. The high group had the highest loin eye area (p<0.001). The meat quality traits were within normal ranges as reddish pink, firm, and nonexudative (RFN) pork, but the groups classified as intermediate and high had relatively large drip loss percentages (p<0.05), produced more than twice the amount of pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) pork as compared to the low group. The group with a high total muscle fiber number was further classified, based on type 2b fiber percentage, into low or high groups by cluster analysis. The results showed that the low type 2b fiber group had good loin eye area (p<0.05), small drip loss (p<0.05), and did not produce PSE pork. For these reasons, a high total muscle fiber number, with a low percentage of type 2b fibers, may be suitable in selecting for improvements in both lean meat production and meat quality.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.152-158
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• 2016

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of refined, solar, and bamboo salt on the physico-chemical properties and sensory characteristics of cured pork loin. Moisture, protein, fat, and ash content, lightness, yellowness, cooking yield, and color, juiciness, and tenderness of sensory properties on curing pork loin exhibited no significant differences regardless of the nature of salts. The pH of raw and cooked cured pork loin with added bamboo salt was higher that of other salt treatments. However, the cooking loss, and Warner-Bratzler shear force of cured pork loin with added refined salt was lower than those of solar and bamboo salt pork loins cured. The flavor and overall acceptability scores of treatments with refined salt was higher than those of solar and bamboo salt treatments. The unique flavor of bamboo salt can render it as a functional material for marinating meat products. In addition, the results of this study reveal potential use of bamboo salt in meat curing.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.315-320
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• 2003

A total of 240 crossbred(Landrace ${\times}$ Yorkshire ${\times}$ Duroc) pigs were housed from 70 kg live weight and slaughtered at weights of 95, 105, 115 and 125 kg. The left side loins of carcass were obtained at 24 hr postmortem to measure pork quality. There were significant differences(p<0.01) in eye muscle area of pork loins between the slaughter weights of 95 and 105 kg. However, no differences were observed in pork than 105 kg of slaughter weight. Ultimate pH values were decreased with increasing slaughter weight and cooking loss was also reduced(p<0.01) at the heavier weights. Slaughter weights did not affect the shear force and intramuscular fat. However, dry matter(DM) and crude protein(CP) contents of loin were increased, and cooking loss and sarcomere length were decreased with increasing slaughter weight. The lightness(L$^{*}$) and redness(a$^{*}$) of pork loin were increased with increasing slaughter weight. Results suggested that pork quality may be improved when pig slaughter weight is increased from 95 to 125 kg.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.667-671
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• 2005

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the muscle mass and fiber number on post-mortem metabolic rates and pork quality. Carcass traits, muscle fiber characteristics, and type of fiber composition were evaluated using a sample of 200 cross-bred pigs. The muscle mass was divided into two groups according to carcass weight and loin-eye area measurements (heavy or light). In addition, the muscle histological characteristics were divided into two groups according to the muscle fiber density and total number of muscle fibers (high or low). All the carcass traits were significantly different in the muscle mass groups. Increasing weight significantly affected the cross-sectional area (CSA) of all fibers. The low group, which had a low muscle fiber number indicating a larger CSA of fibers, and especially the heavy-low group had the highest CSA levels of fibers. The fiber number percentage and the area percentage were significantly different in the groups categorized by fiber number. The heavy-high group indicated a normal rate of pH decline and the R-value. In addition, pigs with a heavy muscle mass and high muscle fiber number indicated normal drip loss, lightness, and protein denaturation. The present results suggest that increasing the total muscle fiber number has a beneficial effect on increasing the muscle mass without deteriorating the meat quality.