EFFECT OF POSTMORTEM AGING ON CHICKEN MUSCLE LIPIDS

Neutral lipids of fresh chicken breast muscles are shown to be triglycerides, sterols and sterol esters with only traces of mono- and diglycerides and free fatty acids. Phospholipids include measurable quantities of phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl inositol, phosphatidyl serine, sphingomyelin, diphosphatidyl glycerol, lysophosphatidyl choline and lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine. Fatty acid analyses of several of the lipid fractions are also included. Decreases in phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine coupled with increases in lysophosphatidyl choline, lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine and free fatty acids after 48 hr postmortem in the cold indicate phospholipase A activity concurrent with other postmortem changes. The significance of the results is discussed.