Analysis of tissue constituents. Commercial ox-muscle extract

Abstract

A scheme for the separation, identification and determination of the compounds present in muscle extracts is outlined, and applied to commercial meat extract. Rf values of compounds likely to be present in such extracts were determined, including a wide range of peptides, organic acids, organic phosphates, guanidines, quaternary ammonium compounds, purines, pyrimidines and inorganic ions. A new procedure for the identification of the organic acids is described, consisting of a preliminary separation by electrodialysis followed by two-dimensional paper chromatography. When identified the constituents were determined quantitatively or, where suitable methods were not available, by direct estimation of the color intensity on the chromato-grams. A hitherto undescribed compound and several compounds not previously reported in ox muscle were detected in the extract. The sum of the constituents that were determined in a sample of meat extract approximates to 100% of the material.