Content of polyamines in beef and pork after animal slaughtering

Abstract

Dietary polyamines putrescine (PUT), spermidine (SPD) and spermine (SPM) participate in an array of important human physiological roles, including tumour growth. Physicians and dieticians thus need reliable information on polyamine contents in foods. However, data for both fresh and processed beef and pork are limited. We therefore, determined the initial content of the polyamines, 24 h after slaughtering, in sirloin and rump of 63 young bulls and in loin and leg of 27 pigs of both genders. Polyamines were determined as N-benzamides by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC). PUT and SPD contents in most of the meat samples were negligible. Mean SPM contents were about 22±6 mg kg⁻¹ in sirloin and rump. No significant correlations at P<0.05 were found between the SPM contents in sirloin and rump, likewise between SPM contents and the age and between live weight and type of the efficiency of the bulls. Mean SPM contents in loin and legs of barrows were 26.1±7.0 and 28.4±8.5 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, while the corresponding values in gilts were 22.3±10.6 and 18.3±9.3 mg kg⁻¹.Between the genders the difference in SPM contents in the legs was significant. SPM contents relatively vary widely within the individual kinds of meat, which complicates application of the results for the controlled human nutrition.