Abstract: The main objective of this study was to investigate the heat-induced changes of thermal characteristics for perimysium and endomysium collagen from beef semitendinosus muscle. Muscle samples were heated to an internal core temperature of 20, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 ℃ and 90 ℃ in water bath and in microwave oven respectively. The changes of thermal shrinkage temperatures (To: onset temperature; Tp: peak temperature; Te: end temperature) of perimysium and endomysium collagen for beef semitendinosus muscle during heating were analyzed by Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). The results indicated that the thermal shrinkage temperatures (To, Tp and Te) of perimysium and endomysium collagen both showed significant differences at different internal core temperatures during water-bath and microwave heating. And an internal core temperature of 60 ℃ was the critical heating temperature which affects thermal shrinkage temperatures of perimysium and endomysium collagen for both water-bath and microwave heated meat. The significant differences in thermal shrinkage temperatures between water bath and microwave heated beef muscle samples were attributed to the heat-induced changes in thermal characteristics of perimysium and endomysium collagen.

Key words: beef semitendinosus muscle, perimysium and endomysium collagen, thermal shrinkage temperatures, heat-induced changes, Differential Scanning Calorimetry(DSC)