Autofluorescence excitation‐emission matrices as a quantitative tool for the assessment of meat quality

Abstract

Commercially produced meat is currently graded by a complex and partly subjective multiparameter methodology; a quantitative method of grading, using small samples would be desirable. Here, we investigate the correlation between commercial grades of beef and spectral signatures of native fluorophores in such small samples. Beef samples of different commercial grades were characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy complemented by biochemical and histological assessment. The excitation‐emission matrices of the specimens reveal five prominent native autofluorescence signatures in the excitation range from 250 to 350 nm, derived mainly from tryptophan and intramuscular fat. We found that these signatures reflect meat grade and can be used for its determination.

Fluorescence-based characterisation of selected edible insect species: Excitation emission matrix (EEM) and parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis

“…Indeed, PARAFAC analysis conducted on the overall averaged dataset was validated for five components, indicating that five different peaks could be detected on the analysed EEM. This is in line with other traditional food such as meat, cheese and fish, where 4 or 5 fluorescence peaks are usually described ( Andersen and Mortensen, 2008 ; Christensen et al, 2006 ; Islam et al, 2020 ).…”

Analysis of muscle tissue in vivo using fiber-optic autofluorescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy

“…[36][37][38][39] Athough there is currently a lack of information on the use of AF/DR spectroscopy within the specific context of diseased muscle tissue, AF/DR probes have been developed to identify commercial meat cut quality based on intermuscular collagen and adipose content. 14,25,27 In this study, we describe a fiber-optic AF/DR system and speculate that both modalities may be capable of real-time marker-free classification of healthy and diseased skeletal muscle tissues.…”

“… 26 demonstrated the accumulation of fluorescent lipofuscin granules from oxidative breakdown of cellular macromolecules in human and murine dystrophic and aged myofibers detectable with visible wavelength AF microscopy. Further, the sensitivity of AF spectroscopy to muscle fat and collagenous tissues 25 , 27 may be relevant to the diagnosis of muscle diseases for which intracellular adiposity and fibrosis are phenotypes. 18 , 28 …”

“… 36 – 39 Athough there is currently a lack of information on the use of AF/DR spectroscopy within the specific context of diseased muscle tissue, AF/DR probes have been developed to identify commercial meat cut quality based on intermuscular collagen and adipose content. 14 , 25 , 27 …”

“…Nakae et al 26 demonstrated the accumulation of fluorescent lipofuscin granules from oxidative breakdown of cellular macromolecules in human and murine dystrophic and aged myofibers detectable with visible wavelength AF microscopy. Further, the sensitivity of AF spectroscopy to muscle fat and collagenous tissues 25,27 may be relevant to the diagnosis of muscle diseases for which intracellular adiposity and fibrosis are phenotypes. 18,28 A current barrier to widespread use of this technique is a lack of economical, accessible, and easy-to-use platforms that integrate AF/DR spectroscopy with relevant and easily interpretable spectral analyses.…”