Perimysial collagen crosslinking in Belgian Blue double-muscled cattle

Relative quantities of five collagen crosslinks in meat from Belgian Blue normal, heterozygous and homozygous double-muscled (DM) bulls (n=31, mean age=20 months) were investigated using m. gluteobiceps, m. semitendinosus and m. pectoralis profundus. The crosslinks pyridinoline, dihydroxylysinorleucine (DHLNL), hydroxylysinorleucine (HLNL), histidinohydroxymerodesmosine (HHMD) and Erlich chromogen (EC) were measured. Concentrations (per mol collagen) of pyridinoline and DHLNL were greater in the DM animals than normal and heterozygous animals for the muscles combined; HHMD was lower. The collagen content in the DM animals was about 65% of the normal animals; that of the heterozygous animals was about 87%. Consequently, the HHMD, HLNL and EC crosslink concentrations (per g wet meat) were significantly lower in the DM animals than in normal and heterozygous animals. All other measured crosslink concentrations and the thermal solubility of the collagen were not significantly affected by the animal type.