Shear values of raw samples of 14 bovine muscles and their relation to muscle collagen characteristics.

Raw samples of 14 muscles: Mm. biceps femoris (BF), quadriceps femoris (CF), diaphragm (DI), flexor digitorum (FD), gluteus medius (GM), infraspinatus (IE), longissimus lumborum (LL), longissimus thoracis (LT), psoas major (PM), pectoralis profundus (PP), semimembranosus (SM), semitendinosus (ST), sternomandibularis (STER) and triceps brachii (TB) from four Swiss Brown (485±15 days old) young bull carcasses and weighing approximately 300 kg were evaluated for some chemical and physical properties. PM (2.11 kg) and DI (2.24 kg) were the muscles which had the lowest Warner-Bratzler shear force values, while PP (6.66 kg) had the greatest shear force (P<0.05). FD and IE muscles had the highest concentration of total collagen content while PM and DI had the lowest (P<0.05) contents, TB and IE muscles presented the highest insoluble collagen concentration while PM and LT had the lowest (P<0.05) contents. High positive correlation between total collagen content and Warner-Bratzler shear force of raw samples was found (r=0.723; P<0.01) and between insoluble collagen content and Warner-Bratzler shear force was (r=0.661; P<0.01). Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed among muscles for differential scanning calorimetry, sarcomere length, pH and colour parameters.