The Solubility of Intramuscular Collagen in Meat Animals of Various Ages

Abstract

SUMMARY The percentage of total intramuscular collagen solubilized by heating in 1/4‐strength Ringer's solution, muscles from 98 cattle, 15 sheep, and 9 pigs at 77°C for 1 hour decreased as chronological age increased. Total intramuscular collagen was high in very young (8‐9 weeks) bo vines and in two of the three very old (7‐15 years) bovines studied. In the age range of 16 weeks to d1/2 years, variation in total bovine intramuscular collagen was wide. There was no indication of a systematic increase as age increased. The results provide strong presumptive evidence of an increase with age in the number or strength of the cross links of intramuscular collagen and furnish an acceptable explanation as to why total amounts of intramuscular collagen are inadequate to explain toughness associated with increasing chronological age.