The Mechanism of Programmed Cell Death and its Importance in the Process of Beef Ripening

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present the mechanism of programmed cell death and the evidence supporting its relation to the ripening of beef. The tenderness of beef is perhaps one of the most important features for consumers, because it makes meat a desirable product in global markets and influences their price and quality. These features depend on genetic, nutritional and environmental factors. Although in Colombia there is still no culture of traceability of meat products in supermarkets, an increase in the number of consumers in Latin America is expected in the near future and they will also have the option of demanding the best meat. Deciphering the biochemical and molecular factors that influence the ripening of beef is a large task that is still in its early stages. Some pathways involved have been deciphered, such as the calpain-calpastatin, the proteasomal and that off cathepsins, proteins that have been recognized as a positive influence in the process of muscle fiber degradation during the ripening process. The conversion of muscle onto flesh is a process that begins once the animal has been sacrificed and, therefore, it is associated with the processes of cell death and necrosis. In recent years, many studies have focused on the importance and contribution of the programmed cell death mechanism or apoptosis on meat tenderness.