COMPARATIVE STUDY OF AUTOLYTIC CHANGES IN PORK AND BEEF MUSCLE TISSUE PROTEOME

The paper presents the studies on the autolytic transformations in pork and beef samples by proteomic methods. The changes in the protein fractions were analyzed by one-dimensional and two- dimensional electrophoresis with the following identification by mass-spectrometric methods. The changes in muscle proteins in the course of autolytic processes were found. For example, the intensity of the protein spots of pyruvate kinase, myosin light chains and adenylate kinase increased during autolysis. The fragments of myosin light chains appeared. The activity of the endogenous enzymes, such as calpain 3 and cathepsin D in the course autolysis was also studied. During the first 24 hours after animal slaughter, the activity of these enzymes reached the maximum level and then decreased. The results of the performed investigations confirmed that pork and beef have different rate of autolysis but similar proteomic changes.