Mitochondrial treason: a driver of pH decline rate in post-mortem muscle?

Abstract

The rate and extent of post-mortem pH decline is an important determinant of meat quality, influencing among other things the incidence of pale, soft, exudative meat. In this perspective I argue two things. First, the accuracy of our modelling of pH decline rates might be improved by incorporation of a muscle mitochondrial content parameter. Second, that high mitochondrial content might help explain the surprisingly rapid pH decline that has sometimes been reported in red, oxidative muscles. The proposed physiological mechanism relates to the fact that mitochondria are known to act as net consumers, rather than producers, of ATP during periods of anoxia – a process called mitochondrial treason. To the best of my knowledge, the implications of the phenomenon of mitochondrial treason have never previously been applied or discussed in a meat science context.