Metabolic, proteomic and microbial changes postmortem and during beef aging

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the current knowledge about proteomic and metabolic changes in beef, the microbiological alteration postmortem and during aging, and observe the influence on beef quality parameters, such as tenderness, taste and flavor. This review will also focus on the different aging types (wet- and dry-aging), the aging or postmortem time of beef and their effect on the proteome and metabolome of beef. The Ca²⁺ homeostasis and adenosine 5’-triphosphate breakdown are the main reactions in the pre-rigor phase. After rigor mortis, the enzymatic degradation of connective tissues and breakdown of energy metabolism dominate molecular changes in beef. Important metabolic processes leading to the formation of saccharides, nucleotides, organic acids (e.g. lactic acid), creatine and fatty acids are considered in this context as possible flavor precursors or formers of beef flavor and taste. Flavor precursors are substrates for lipid oxidation, Strecker degradation and Maillard reaction during cooking or roasting. The findings presented should serve as a basis for a better understanding of beef aging and its molecular effects and are intended to contribute to meeting the challenges of improving beef quality.

Keywords:

• Bovine
• dry-aged beef
• flavor
• ripening
• taste
• wet-aged beef

Author contributions

Greta Bischof – conceptualization, project administration, methodology, investigation, visualization, formal analysis, data curation, resources and writing – original draft; Franziska Witte – conceptualization, project administration, methodology, investigation, resources, writing – original draft, and writing – review and editing; Nino Terjung – project administration, writing – review and editing and funding acquisition; Volker Heinz – writing – review and editing and funding acquisition; Andreas Juadjur – methodology, project administration, writing – review and editing, funding acquisition and supervision; Monika Gibis – conceptualization, methodology, project administration, writing – original draft, writing – review and editing and supervision.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was conducted within the frame of an IGF project of the FEI (Forschungskreis der Ernährungsindustrie) supported via AIF (Arbeitsgemeinschaft industrieller Forschungsvereinigungen Otto von Guericke e.V.) within the program for promoting Industrial Collective Research (IGF) of the German Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi), based on a resolution of the German Parliament [grant number AiF 20910N].