Оценка видовой принадлежности мышечной ткани на основе микроструктурного анализа

The practical problems arising in the evaluation of meat product quality include the definition of the species affiliation of meat raw products. This study presents the research data on the species features of the histological structure of striated muscle tissue in some animal species. The species affiliation is important not only in terms of food safety, but also in terms of ethic attitude to consumers. In the guise of rabbit meat cat meat may be sold, and dog meat may be sold in the guise of mutton. The obtained data on the microstructural features of muscle and connective tissues enable defining the species affiliation of meat products. The samples for histological studies were taken after sheep slaughter (Gornoaltayskaya sheep breed) on a sheep breeding farm “Tenginskoye”, Onguday District, the Republic of Altai, at the age of 18 months; from doe rabbits (Soviet Chinchilla breed) at the age of 12-18 months, domesticated dogs (German shepherd dogs) at the age of 2.5-3 years, and non-pedigree cats at the age of 4-6 years in a veterinary clinic of the City of Barnaul after euthanasia. The muscle tissue of sheep as compared to that of dogs is larger in primary bundle diameter with greater number of muscle fibers. The epimysium width in dogs is 1.3 times larger than that in sheep. The muscle tissue of rabbits as compared to that of cats has thinner epimysium between the primary bundles. The average muscle fiber diameter in cats is less than that in rabbits by 4.2 µm. The histological methods of muscular tissue research enable defining its species affiliation. The muscle tissue of rabbits and cats is more likely to be involved in meat adulteration.