Determination of pH in pre rigor fish muscle - method matters

Abstract

The determination of post mortem muscle pH are often carried out in studies on how pre-slaughter handling influences the development of rigor mortis and the quality of the fish products. The analysis might be performed by inserting a pH-electrode into the intact flesh or using a suspension containing a minced muscle sample. Although it has been known for a long time that mincing muscle tissue accelerates glycolysis and breakdown of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), more recent studies quite commonly determine pH after mincing pre rigor muscle without including an enzyme inhibitor that arrests glycolysis. This may have resulted in anomalously low pre rigor muscle pH. The aim of the present work was to compare the two methods of pH determination in pre rigor fish muscle and to highlight the importance of including the enzyme inhibitor when homogenizing pre rigor fish muscle prior to pH analysis.