Myofibrillar Fragmentation and Cytoskeletal Protein Degradation: A Mechanism Driven by Ultra-High Pressure Processing to Tenderize Post-Mortem Goose Meat

Abstract

Enhancing tenderness is crucial for improving the commercial quality and consumer acceptance of goose meat. Here, a novel strategy was developed to enhance tenderness by accelerating the degradation of cytoskeletal proteins through ultra-high pressure (UHP) processing. Experiments were conducted across a range of pressure (100–500 MPa) and holding times (10–30 min). The results demonstrated that the optimal treatment condition of 300 MPa for 20 min significantly improved tenderness, as evidenced by a 25% reduction in shear force compared to the control group. The tenderization mechanism of post-mortem was shown to operate through a dual pathway: UHP directly induced physical disruption of the myofibrillar structure, reflected by a 20% increase in the myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI). Simultaneously, it activated the endogenous enzyme μ-calpain, which promoted the targeted degradation of structural proteins, particularly troponin-T and desmin. These coordinated biochemical and ultrastructural alterations led to pronounced myofibrillar disorganization, including I-band disruption and Z-line fragmentation, ultimately compromising sarcomere integrity. The findings demonstrate that UHP can be applied as an effective physical intervention to improve tenderness of post-mortem goose meat, providing a viable technological approach for the meat industry to enhance product quality.