Correlation between a novel calpastatin biosensor and traditional calpastatin assay techniques

• Published in: Biosensors & bioelectronics 2008-05, Vol.23 (10), p.1429-1434
• Main Authors: Bratcher, C.L., Grant, S.A., Stringer, R.C., Lorenzen, C.L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Beef; Biological and medical sciences; Biosensing Techniques - instrumentation; Biosensing Techniques - methods; Biosensor; Biosensors; Biotechnology; Calcium-Binding Proteins - analysis; Calpastatin; Cattle; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Fluorescence; Food Analysis - instrumentation; Food Analysis - methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Meat - analysis; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Statistics as Topic; Tenderness; Various methods and equipments
• ISSN: 0956-5663; 1873-4235
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2007.12.014

An optical fiber biosensor to detect calpastatin has been investigated as a preliminary step in developing tenderness detection instrumentation. Longissimus dorsi samples were taken from beef carcasses (n=21) at 0, 24, 36 and 48h postmortem. Muscle homogenates were assayed for calpastatin activity using traditional methods and an optical fiber biosensor. Warner–Bratzler shear force was also performed on a steak from each carcass at 14d postmortem. Results demonstrated that the measurements with highest correlation between traditional calpastatin assays and optical biosensor readings were taken at 48h postmortem (r=0.597, P≤0.01), suggesting that this is the best time for use of this biosensor in an on-line grading system. This research further advances the development of a calpastatin biosensor and would be useful in laboratory determination of the presence of biologically active calpastatin concentrations.