Identification of irradiated meat

Book · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1973

OSTI ID:4339013

Altmann, H; Klein, W; Dolejs, I

A study was made to determine gamma-ray induced significant changes in chicken meat; various methods were applied, and various important components were taken into account. The experimental results show that, apart from a partial stimulation in the range of low doses, no marked changes can be detected in the soluble proteins, the proteolytic activity, and in the nucleic acid pattern of chicken meat extracts irradiated with doses up to 0.5 Mrad. The only exception here is the DNA in which damages can be detected already after irradiation with 0.05 Mrad. A clear identification of irradiation damages in the soluble proteins is possible only after irradiation with high doses (preservation doses), with the meat of chicken legs being more sensitive to irradiation than the meat of chicken breasts, showing signs of degradation earlier than the latter. As regards the proteolytic activity, both types of meat exhibit a clear decrease of that activity after irradiation from 0.5 Mrad onwards, with the enzymes of leg meat being more effectively damaged by preservation doses than the breast meat. The ratio of low-molecular to high-molecular RNA increases continuously with increasing irradiation dose up to 5 Mrad. Considering the total RNA and DNA, only irradiation with 0.5 up to 1 Mrad will produce detectable changes. The significant response of the RNA/DNA ratio after gamma irradiation is due to a strong degradation of the DNA. An irradiation dose of 2 Mrad completely destroys the DNA, whereas irradiation below 0.5 Mrad can be detected only by gradient centrifugation. (GE)

• Research Organization: Oesterreichische Studiengesellschaft fuer Atomenergie GmbH, Seibersdorf
• NSA Number: NSA-29-015865
• OSTI ID: 4339013
• Country of Publication: Germany
• Language: German

Related Subjects

*DNA-- CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
*MEAT-- RADIOPRESERVATION
*PROTEINS-- CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BIOCHEMISTRY
CENTRIFUGATION
CHICKENS
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
ENZYMES
GAMMA RADIATION
IRRADIATION
N47321 --Isotope & Radiation Source Technology--Radiation Sources--Industrial Uses--Food Processing
N48320* --Life Sciences--Radiation Effects on Microorganisms- -Food Preservation
PROTEOLYSIS
RADIATION INJURIES
RADIOLYSIS
RNA