Department of Food Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
J Agric Food Chem. 2011 Jan 26;59(2):608-14. doi: 10.1021/jf103696t. Epub 2010 Dec 22.
Vitamins influence collagen metabolism in animals grown for meat. This study investigated whether vitamins E and C regulate collagen turnover in muscle by the balance of effects on the synthesis of collagen and its degradation by secretion of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) by bovine intramuscular fibroblasts. Fibroblasts isolated from longissimus dorsi (LD) and semitendinosus (ST) muscle were treated with different concentrations of vitamins. Pro-MMP-2, MMP-2, and total soluble collagen (TSC) synthesis were determined. Vitamins E and C each preferentially increased (P < 0.05) MMP-2 in cells derived from LD relative to those derived from ST. Higher TSC values (P < 0.05) were found for ST cells than for LD cells. Both vitamins may increase collagen turnover exerted by intramuscular connective tissue fibroblasts. These results may have implications in vivo on animal production, as a high rate of collagen turnover may lead to increased collagen solubility in muscles, which can affect meat tenderness.
维生素会影响用于肉类生产的动物的胶原蛋白代谢。本研究通过平衡胶原蛋白合成和基质金属蛋白酶（MMPs）分泌对其降解的影响，调查维生素 E 和 C 是否可以调节肌肉中的胶原蛋白周转。从背最长肌（LD）和半腱肌（ST）肌肉中分离出成纤维细胞，用不同浓度的维生素进行处理。测定原 MMP-2、MMP-2 和总可溶性胶原蛋白（TSC）的合成。维生素 E 和 C 各自优先增加（P < 0.05）LD 来源的细胞中的 MMP-2，而相对于 ST 来源的细胞。ST 细胞的 TSC 值（P < 0.05）高于 LD 细胞。两种维生素都可能增加由肌肉内结缔组织成纤维细胞引起的胶原蛋白周转。这些结果可能对动物生产具有体内意义，因为高胶原蛋白周转率可能导致肌肉中胶原蛋白的溶解度增加，从而影响肉的嫩度。
