전기 자극의 연도증진 기작에 관한 연구동향

The use of electrical stimulation in the red meat processing has been inconsistent and the mechanism(s) associated with the improvement of meat quality in electically stimulated carcass has been disputed. This may reflect an incomplete knowledge of how to optimise the technology and also mirrors the existence of unknown factors. Although it is well established that the stimulation treatment increases the rate of post-mortem glycolysis, other biochemical and biophysical effects have been implicated with the use of this technology. The classical view that stimulation prevents muscle from shortening excessively during rigor development has been expanded to include the possibility that it also results in physical disruption of muscle structure and early `turn-on` of tenderizing porcess. However, the interaction of these effects with the acceleration of the rate of proteolysis through activation of the calpain protease system has not been comprehensively unravelled. This mini-review attempts to examine the current theories about the effect of stimulation on post-mortem muscle.