Cluster analysis application identifies muscle characteristics of importance for beef tenderness

BMC Biochemistry

Table 4 Coefficient of correlations between the most significant variables

	Tenderness	Total collagen	Insoluble collagen	ICDH activity	LDH activity	SO (%)	FOG (%)	FG (%)	CSA
Tenderness	1,00	−0,20**	−0,15*	0,12	−0,01	0,18**	−0,19**	−0,06	−0,13*
Total collagen		1,00	0,81***	−0,22***	0,05	−0,38***	0,33***	0,17**	0,34***
Insoluble collagen			1,00	−0,25***	0,16**	−0,40***	0,31***	0,20**	0,33***
ICDH activity				1,00	−0,43***	0,63***	−0,10	−0,57***	−0,21***
LDH activity					1,00	−0,36***	0,02	0,35***	0,12
SO (%)						1,00	−0,42***	−0,74***	−0,25***
FOG (%)							1,00	−0,28***	0,07
FG (%)								1,00	0,22***
CSA									1,00

Correlation analyses were performed with 495 samples for which all measurements of the indicated variables were available.
*: r > 0.1218 (P < 0.05), **: r > 0.1593 (P < 0.01), ***: r > 0.2018 (P < 0.001).
Tenderness: tenderness score of grilled samples (55-60°C) after 14 days of ageing; Total collagen : total collagen content in mg/g dry matter; Insoluble collagen: insoluble collagen content in mg/g dry matter; ICDH: isocitrate dehydrogenase activity in μmole/min per g muscle; LDH: lactate dehydrogenase activity in μmole/min per g muscle; FG (%): proportion of fast glycolytic muscle fibres; FOG (%):proportion of fast oxydo-glycolytic muscle fibres; SO (%):proportion of slow oxidative muscle fibres; CSA: mean cross-sectional area of muscle fibres in μm².

ISSN: 1471-2091