R. Geers et al., VARIABILITY WITHIN INTRAMUSCULAR FAT-CONTENT OF PIGS AS MEASURED BY GRAVIMETRY, FTIR AND NMR-SPECTROSCOPY, Meat science, 40(3), 1995, pp. 373-378
In order to determine in vivo intramuscular fat content of pigs' bicep
s femoris, three methods were compared. Gravimetry and FTIR spectrosco
py after total fat extraction from a biopsy (about 400 mg skeletal mus
cle tissue) and in vivo H-1 NMR spectroscopy after imaging and volume
of interest selection were used. Mean values (g fat/100 g fresh tissue
) were, respectively, 1.47 +/- 0.35 (gravimetry), 1.26 +/- 0.33 (FTIR)
and 0.51 +/- 0.19 (NMR); but NMR-values represented only triglyceride
s. Within an intramuscular fat range from 1.1 to 2.7 g per 100 g fresh
muscle tissue, it was possible to estimate a calibration line between
the in vitro and in vivo data for hybrid piglets of about 18 kg. Repe
ated in vivo NMR measurements on the same muscle Volume showed a mean
coefficient of variation of 5.5 +/- 2.7%. The coefficient of variation
of measurements on different volumes within the same muscle was 14 +/
- 10%. The mean intramuscular fat content of 18 kg or 100 kg pigs was,
respectively, 1.64 +/- 0.46 (biceps femoris) and 1.32 +/- 0.1 (longis
simus dorsi) g per 100 g fresh muscle tissue.