The Research On Meat Quality Of Qinchuan Cattle

Eight Qinchuan cattles(3 males,3 females and 2 steers) were slaughtered and carcass were divided up to 16 retail cuts: tenderloin, striploin, ribeye, high rib, brisket, rib cut, beef rump, topside, knuckle, silverside, fore beef shank, rear beef shank, triangle meet ,beef neck and beef shoulder, from which the following items, including content of water, crude ash, crude fat, crude protein, meat colour, pH value, tenderness and water holding capacity were measured. Other meat quality items such as ribeye area, water absorption capacity, the diameter, area and density of muscle fibre, the amount of muscle fibre in histology, vitamin B^inosine, inosinic acid imp, dissociative glutamine, were measured at the same site, namely, the muscle on 12th-13th rib. The disparity in each trait were studied by variance analysis. More detail analysis were made for all traits and cuts by multi-statistic analysis, the results were shown as follows:Among all measured meat traits, crude fat, crude protein, tenderness, water holding capacity, pH value, meat colour, area, diameter and density of muscle fibre, amount of muscle fibre in fascicle, inosine, inosinic acid imp, and dissociative glutamine were significantly different between sex. From normal nutrition component, meat of male catties were the best, while female catties were the worst. Also such items as inosinic acid imp, dissociative glutamine, vitamin Bj,pH, the diameter and area of muscle fibre were the highest in male catties, while in female catties, were the lowest. The above items, except vitamin B1, were significantly different among three sex (P<0. 05) .But in a whole, male catties' meat quality were the best; females, the worst; while steers were between male and females .In different cuts on carcass, tenderness, crude fat, meat color, water holding capacity, pH value, the content of water, crude proteinand crude ash were different, but the most decisive items to meat quality on different cuts is tenderness and the content of fat in muscle. It is obvious that the changes of tenderness and the content of fat in muscle in different cuts on carcass were consistent in some extent. The 16 cuts, according to their meat quality, were classified into 3 major characteristics groups: tenderloin, high rib, ribeye and striploin were classified as one group, belonging to high grade meet; fore beef shank, rear beef shank, beef flank, beef neck, knuckle, triangle meat and beef shoulder were classified into the second group; silverside, topside, beef rump, rib cut, and brisket, the third group. In meat quality , the third group was batter than the second. On all accounts, Qinchuan catties have the excellent potential for producing high grade beef. Some of their items, such as tendeness, the content of muscle fat, protein and flavors meet or exceed the standard for high grade beef.Correlation analysis show that the traits of meat quality have different relationships. There were significant relationships (P<0.05 or P<0.01) between meat colour and some traits including pH value, water holding capacity, the area, diameter density of muscle fibre, the amount of muscle fibre in histology, inosinic acid imp, and dissociative glutamine. This meas that the using of meat colour in judging beef quality is reasonable. Each measured items of beef flavor and muscle histology also had significant relationships (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The relationships between tenderness and the items of histology or fat in-muscle were significant. The relation analysis also showed that at the same age, higher carcass weight had batter meat quality.All-around analysis on meat quality traits show that the most important items to beapplied in Qinchuan cattle meat research were the diameter of muscle fibre (also reflecting tenderness),inosinic acid imp, dissociative glutamine, in-muscle fat, pH value, vitamin BI, meat colour. These items were also very important in Qinchuan beef cattle's breeding.