Comparison of sweet-taste amino acids between two different type muscles of aceh cattle

Abstract Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and play a key role in shaping the flavor of beef, including its characteristic sweetness. Aceh people particularly favored aceh beef for its unique sweet taste. This study aimed to identify the amino acids responsible for this sweet flavor (sweet taste amino acids/STAAs) in aceh beef, focusing on two different muscle types. This study used the iliopsoas and gracilis muscles from two adult aceh bulls with aged 3-4 years which were raised semi-intensively in the grazing fields. The meat samples, taken from hot carcasses, were analyzed in a professional laboratory (PT. SIG, Bogor City) using the UPLC-PDA method. Each muscle type was repeated twice. Results showed that there was no difference in STAAs content between gracilis and iliopsoas muscles of aceh cattle (p>0.05). Sweet taste amino acids (proline, alanine, glycine, glutamic acid, and serine) in aceh beef from the gracilis muscle were 45214.97 mg/kg dry basis, while in the iliopsoas muscle it reached 49796.60 mg/kg dry basis. In conclusion, sweet-taste amino acids content between two types of aceh beef muscle was relatively similar. The type of muscle, whether iliopsoas or gracilis, does not significantly influence the levels of sweet-taste amino acids in aceh beef.