HISTOLOGICAL EVALUATION METHOD OF MEAT MARBLING OF SMALL AGRICULTURAL CATTLE Russian patent published in 2012 - IPC G01N33/12 

FIELD: agriculture.

SUBSTANCE: histological evaluation method of meat marbling of small agricultural cattle includes sampling of the investigated meat, samples preparation and its study, and the sample is prepared by fixing, washing with cold running water, compaction of samples, sectioning, staining of sections and concluding of sections, followed by assessment of marbling content of the longest muscle of an animal back on appraisal by points of fat interfascicular layers within of eyeshot of the microscope by their width, length, density and branching taking into account density of location; and fixation of the samples is carried out for 23-24 hours in 10% formalin, then successively the samples are washed in cold running water for 15-20 minutes, compacting in 25% gelatin within 48-52 hours with subsequent cooling at +4°C till freezing, making vertical cuts in the transverse and longitudinal direction of gelatin blocks on a freezing microtome, staining of sections for 15-20 minutes, exposure in 50° alcohol, washing in distilled water for 1.5-2 minutes and conclusion sections under coverslip with use of glycerin-gelatin for 5-10 minutes, and the study is carried out with help of light microscope of at least 2 slices of each sample, and appraisal by points of fat interfascicular layers within of eyeshot of the microscope by the width, length, density and branching taking into account density of location is from 1 to 5 scores, and the coefficient of marbling of the sample under study is determined as follows: Cm = FCD/A, where Cm is the coefficient of marbling of the sample under study; FCD is an average fat cells diameter, and A is a constant, and A is equal to 12 for sheep, and 18 for swine.

EFFECT: increased precision of evaluation of meat marbling and quality.

2 tbl, 5 ex, 2 dwg