Potential use of crude extracts from Alaska Pollock muscle as meat tenderizer

Abstract

The activity of crude extracts from Alaska Pollock muscle responsible for the hydrolysis of myofibrils and perimysia from beef Longissimus Dorsi muscle was investigated. The results showed that myosin heavy chain and myosin light chain were hydrolyzed completely after 12 h of incubation. Tropomyosin, a-actinin, and troponin-T disappeared after 24 h of incubation, whereas the actin was partially degraded. The collagen fibers were so loose that cross-linking among microfibrils occurred after treatment with the crude extracts. Meanwhile, the second structures of myofibrillar proteins were not changed markedly after incubation. The α helices in perimysia treated with the crude extracts were partially transformed into β-sheets, while the β-turn and the random coil fractions were steady. It was concluded that myofibrils and perimysia from beef Longissimus Dorsi muscle were commendably hydrolyzed by the crude extracts from Alaska Pollock muscle, so that the crude extracts from Alaska Pollock muscle could be utilized as a potential meat tenderizer. © 2012 Taylor & Francis.