A Comparative Study on Changes in Protein, Lipid and Meat-Quality Attributes of Camel Meat, Beef and Sheep Meat (Mutton) during Refrigerated Storage

SIMPLE SUMMARY: This study investigated a comparative analysis on changes in protein and lipid fractions and quality attributes of camel meat, cattle meat (beef) and sheep meat (mutton). The samples were studied over 9 days of refrigerated storage. Camel meat underwent higher lipid oxidation compared with beef and sheep meat. All meat types showed a decrease in the haem pigments and redness (a* values) indicating the oxidation of the haem pigment. Drip loss was high in camel meat and mutton compared with the beef samples. Camel meat was tougher, with higher hardness values, followed by beef and mutton samples, which decreased over 3 and 9 days of storage, indicating the degradation of structural proteins. In conclusion, the study provided valuable information on the properties of different red meats during storage and variations in their protein and lipid fractions and other quality attributes during storage. ABSTRACT: An in-depth characterisation of protein and lipid fractions and changes in the physicochemical and meat-quality attributes of camel meat, beef and mutton over 9 days of refrigerated storage was investigated. The lipids of all the meat samples, especially those in camel meat, underwent significant oxidation in the first 3 days of storage. A decrease in pigment and redness (a* value) with an increase in the storage time was noticed in all the meat samples, suggesting the oxidation of the haem protein. The mutton samples displayed greater protein extractability, while the protein solubility values in all the meat samples were similar, and these varied as storage progressed. The drip loss percentage in camel meat and mutton were two times higher than in beef, and it increased during storage period. The textural properties of fresh camel meat were higher than mutton and beef, and these decreased during day 3 and 9, respectively, indicating the proteolysis and the degradation of the structural proteins, which were also evident from the SDS-PAGE pattern.