Fluorometry of Connective Tissue in Beef, Relative to Direction of Measurement

• Published in: Food science & technology Vol. 29; no. 5; pp. 536 - 541
• Main Authors: Swatland, H.J., Madsen, N.T., Nielsen, T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1996; Elsevier
• Subjects: beef; Biological and medical sciences; connective tissue; fiber optics; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; measurement; Meat and meat product industries; meat quality; methodology; spectrofluorimetry; Meat product; Connective tissue; Beef; Fluorescence spectrometry; Quality control; Analytical method
• ISSN: 0023-6438; 1096-1127
• DOI: 10.1006/fstl.1996.0081

Spectrofluorometry (365 nm excitation) using both microscopy and fibre optics showed that fluorescence of bovine tendon was stronger (from 430 to 510 nm) when measurements were made co-axially with the longitudinal axes of collagen fibres, relative to when measurements were made perpendicularly. In addition, directional effects were found when the three-dimensional structure of the connective tissue framework of the bovine
M. longissimus thoraciswas assessed with a fibre optic probe mounted in a hypodermic needle. More fluorescence peaks were detected, and mean peak height was greater, in perpendicular measurements than in parallel measurements. However, mean widths of fluorescence peaks, and maximum and minimum fluorescence, were similar in both directions. Attention should be given to direction of measurement when using fluorometry to assess the connective tissue content of meat.