Topics:
Animal Refresher, Meat Science
Stromal Protein Solubility
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Question (English)
Stromal proteins (e.g., collagen, reticulin & elastin) are insoluble in:
- Water only
- Salt only
- Both water and salt ✓ Correct
- Acidic solutions
Explanation:
Correct Answer: Both water and salt
Stromal (connective tissue) proteins — Collagen, Reticulin, and Elastin — are almost insoluble in both water and salt solutions. They are fibrous structural proteins.
Collagen Facts
- Rich in: Glycine, Proline, and Hydroxyproline
- Deficient in: Cysteine and Tryptophan (essential amino acids)
- Bone collagen → called Ossein or Demineralized bone
- Gelatin → obtained by partial hydrolysis (boiling in water) of collagen; a crude form is Glue
- Collagen is responsible for the toughness of meat — meat from older animals is tougher because collagen crosslinks increase with age
Why Stromal Proteins Are Insoluble
Their fibrous triple-helix structure and extensive crosslinking make them resistant to normal solvents. Only prolonged heating (moist heat cooking) converts collagen to soluble gelatin.
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This multiple choice question is from Animal Refresher, Meat Science. It has 4 options with a detailed explanation of the correct answer. Practice more MCQs from Animal Refresher to strengthen your preparation.
