Phospholipid Content of Beef Biceps Femoris as Affected by Cooking

Differences in phospholipid class distribution in raw and cooked meat and drip have been of interest to researchers at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The present research was performed to determine if such differences result from partitioning.

Drip lipid was found to have significantly higher cephalin content and lower lecithin content than raw or cooked biceps femoris muscle lipid. Correspondingly, cooked muscle lipid had significantly lower cephalin and higher lecithin content than raw muscle or drip lipids.

Evidence of partitioning was to be obtained through data conversion from percentage basis to absolute amounts. However, several developments possibly related to experimental procedure and/or heat induced complexes and interactions made such calculations ineffectual. More total lipid and phospholipid were present in the lipid extract of cooked muscle than were present in the raw muscle lipid extract. Therefore, conclusive evidence of partitioning could not be given. Suggestions for further study are made.