Correlations between the levels of the bioactive compounds and quality traits in beef loin and round during cold storage

In this study we investigated the meat quality characteristics, bioactive compound content, and antioxidant activities during cold storage (at 4 °C) of beef loin (n = 70) and round (n = 42) for 19 days. Subsequently, we estimated the correlation between the levels of the bioactive compounds and the quality traits. The beef quality degraded with time, with an increase in aerobic plate counts (APC) and reduction in redness (a*) and sensory properties. The results revealed distinctive features of the two cuts that significantly differed for their proximate compositions in addition to other quality parameters. The quality traits, including the sensory properties, were observed to be altered during storage. Moreover, the levels of bioactive compounds, including CoQ 10 , l -carnitine, carnosine, anserine, creatine, and creatinine, were higher in the beef round than in the loin, and their levels were found to be influenced by the storage conditions. During storage, contents of carnosine and anserine in loin and round were shown to be positively correlated with tenderness, a*, yellowness (b*), and sensory characteristics (0.614 ≤ r ≤ 0.909) and negatively correlated with APC (−0.541 ≤ r ≤ −0.758). However, creatinine levels in loin and round increased during storage and showed a negative correlation with tenderness, a*, b*, and sensory characteristics (−0.596 ≤ r ≤ −0.969) and a positive correlated with APC (0.540 ≤ r ≤ 0.887). The antioxidant activities of loin and round were positively correlated with carnosine and anserine (0.572 ≤ r ≤ 0.931). This study provides novel insights into the correlation between beef quality traits and bioactive compounds in two beef muscles during cold storage and could be used for the evaluation of beef meat quality. • Beef loin had higher oleic acid levels than round. • Beef round contained more bioactive compounds than beef loin. • During storage, beef quality decreased with an increase in aerobic plate counts. • Carnosine, anserine, and creatinine in beef were highly correlated with quality. • Antioxidant activities of beef positively correlated with carnosine and anserine.