Study On The Difference Of Muscle Histological Characteristics And Meat Quality In Different Parts Of Wapiti (Cervus Elaphus)

The venison is famous for the higher protein, lower fat, easy digested, and richer nutrition,the fresh and good flavor. It is favored deeply with the function of enhancing human bodymetabolism strength and resistibility. The cucullaris cervicalis muscle, brachiocephalicusmuscle, intercostal muscle, longissimus dorsi muscle, shallow chest front muscle, rectusabdominis muscle, supraspinatus muscle, vastus laterails muscle, gluteus medius muscle andcardiac muscle of wapiti were studied on muscle histological characteristic (diameter,area,numbers and density of muscle fiber), flavor compounds (inosinic acid, IMP) and basicnutrition composition(content of water, crude protein, crude fat, crude ash and quantity ofheat) by paraffin section, HPLC (high performance liquid chromatographic method) andlaboratory analyses, respectively. To determine the relationship between muscle histologicalcharacteristic and meat quality, and afford scientific basis for the value of meat quality ofWapiti.The results were as follows:1. The average content of water, crude protein, crude fat, crude ash, quantity of heat,inosinic acid, numbers and density of muscle fiber of male and female wapiti were76.31±1.69% and 75.88±1.23%, 22.35±0.69% and 20.30±0.94%, 1.76±0.52% and 1.75±0.47%,1.01±0.30% and 1.08±0.36%, 0.9417±0.49mg/g and 0.7564±0.25mg/g, 23725.54±801.23kJ/kgand 23233.84±485.20kJ/kg, 147.35±3.57N and 137.81±3.38N, 942.99±143.90N/mm~2 and885.39±145.03N/mm~2, respectively. There were not significant differences among thecorresponding parts (P＞0.05).The average diameter and area of muscle fiber of male andfemale wapiti were 39.31±9.34μm and 44.42±11.23μm, 1274.86±45.97μm~2 and1617.46±68.01μm~2, respectively. The average diameter and area of muscle fiber of femalewapiti were bigger remarkably than those of male wapiti (P＜0.05).2. The quantity of heat, content of inosinic acid,numbers and density of muscle fiber ofthe male wapiti were higher than those of female wapiti in 10 different parts, the diameter andarea of muscle fiber were contrary, but there were not significant differences among thecorresponding parts(P＞0.05).3. The average content of inosinic acid, diameter and area of muscle fiber of cardiacmuscle were significant lower than the other nine parts (P＜0.05). The average numbers ofmuscle fiber of cardiac muscle was significant bigger than the other nine parts (P＜0.05). The average density of muscle fiber of cardiac muscle was the biggest among 10different parts (P＜0.01).4. The correlation coefficient between the diameter of muscle fiber and area of musclefiber was one (r=1.00). The relationship between number of muscle fiber and density of muscle fiber was significant (P＜0.05). The diameter and area of muscle fiber had thenegative relation to the number and density of muscle fiber (P＞0.05)5. The review summarized the relationship of the histology characteristic and the meatquality and found: The content of crude ash and quantity of heat were significantly negativecorrelated with the diameter of muscle fiber of venison. The content of inosinic acid wassignificantly negative correlated with the area of muscle fiber, too (P＜0.05).There was no significant and positive correlation between the content of water,crudeprotein,prude fat,inosinic acid and the number,density of muscle fiber of venison.The diameter and area of muscle fiber of venison were contrary (P＞0.05)6. The ten parts, according to their meat quality, were classified into four majorcharacteristics groups: the longissimus dorsi muscle, vastus laterails muscle, supraspinatusmuscle, gluteus medius muscle and intercostal muscle classified as the first group, belonged tohigh grade meat; the brachiocephalicus muscle, rectus abdominis muscle and shallow chestfront muscle were classified into the second group, their meat quality traits was moderate,belonged to middle grade meat; the cucullaris cervicalis muscle and cardiac muscle was thethird and the fourth group.In meat quality, they were inferior to the first and second group.The cardiac muscle of wapiti had higher water content, better tenderness, but the content ofcrude protein and inosinic acid were lower, and consequently, it was tasteless, belonged to theaverage grade meat.