Three-dimensional Structure of Collagen Fibrillar Network of Pericellular Connective Tissue in Association with Firmness of Fish Muscle.

Abstract

To clarify the difference in the three-dimensional structure of collagen fibrillar networks of several muscles, a cell-maceration/scanning electron microscope (SEM) method was applied for tiger puffer, sardine, carp, and rabbit muscles in parallel to evaluate muscle firmness. Tiger puffer and rabbit muscles, whose texture was relatively firm, had collagen fibrils of higher density in the pericellular connective tissues. Sardine muscle which was relatively soft in texture, on the other hand, had connective tissue which was scarce in collagen fibrils. The arrangement of collagen fibrils also differed among fish species. The collagen fibrils of sardine and carp muscles were highly ordered, while those of tiger puffer and rabbit were less ordered. These results suggested that the difference in muscle firmness was related to both the density and the arrangement of collagen fibrils in the pericellular connective tissue. In addition, it was indicated that the cell-maceration/ SEM method was effective in observing the three-dimensional structure of collagen fibrillar network in connective tissue of muscle.