Abstract: Intramuscular connective tissue (IMCT) is an important component of muscle tissue, playing an essential role in the texture and quality of meat. The structural composition of IMCT changes during post-mortem ageing and cooking, largely determining the tenderness of meat, in which changes in the perimysium and endomysium play a crucial role. Beginning with an overview of the characteristics of collagen in IMCT, this article reviews the correlation between IMCT and meat tenderness, and analyzes the change of IMCT during the post-mortem ageing and cooking of meat. Additionally, it summarizes the effects of the newly emerging meat tenderization technologies (electrical stimulation, exogenous enzymatic hydrolysis, pulsed electric field, and ultrasound) on IMCT structure and the consequent change of meat tenderness. Hopefully, this review will provide technical support and a theoretical basis for the reasonable regulation of IMCT to effectively improve meat tenderness.

Key words: meat food; intramuscular connective tissue; collagen; post-mortem ageing; cooking; tenderness