Pattern of Muscle Proteolytic and Lipolytic Enzymes from Light and Heavy Pigs

Samples of muscle Semimembranosuswere removed from light and heavy pork hams 3 days after slaughtering and analysed for chemical composition and proteolytic and lipolytic enzyme activity. Light hams were higher in moisture content and cathepsin (B and B+L) activity, and lower in peptidase (pyroglutamyl and dipetidyl IV) activity; the absence of further differences in proteolytic and in lipolytic enzymes could be due to large variation coefficients found within both ham classes. The use of principal components analysis displayed distinct patterns for light and heavy samples, with the latter being mainly characterised by greater peptidase-to-proteinase ratio and, to a lesser extent, by higher lipase activity. It was concluded that different chemical and enzyme patterns in fresh meat might be the cause of the wide variations in protein and lipid breakdown mechanisms that are often encountered in dry-cured pork derivatives.