We analyzed the conentes of 12 types of minerals such as calcium in muscle from various species. Thereafter we ovserved changes of the concetrations according to age, part and sex in major domestic animals. The concentraions of calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc were high respectively whilst the content of cobalt, chromium, copper, manganese, molybdenum and nickel were low respectively in the muscle. The concentration of calcium was high in duck and dog but low in pig and horse. Also high level of sodium content was detected in dog and the content of potassium, iron showed high level in horse compared with the content in other animals. In 6 types of microminerals as cobalt, the level of muscle wer no more than 1 ppm showing very low content in all animal, but 2.99+_0.85ppm of copper in duck was an exceptional case. According to the age some species showed small range of variation centering on macrominerals and there was no remarkable change in microminerals. Distribution of minerals was different according to the part and the variation was very diverse compared with other factors such as age and sex. Additionally, the content of mnerals in muscle was higher in female than in male chicken and duck. In conclusion, the difference of the content of minerals according to the species was mainly focused on macrominerals.

The contents of histidine dipeptides, a metabolic products of muscle protein, were investigated to compare muscle composition among the 9 domestic animals including cattle. In major domestic animal, analyzed the effects of age, part and sex of the animals on their muscle composition. Large amounts of carnosine(68.63+_17.41 micro mol/g) were detected in cattle and it was higher than other animals. Wheres the content of anserine showed high level in order of turkey, chickens and duck. The ratio of carnosine and anserine(C/A ratio) was different depending on the animal species. Statistical data indicated that difference among species was significant(p0.05). The contents of histidine dipeptides in hearted muscle by boiling for 40 minutes at 110 degrees centigrade was similar to those of raw muscle. C/A ration in heated muscle was not different from that of raw muscle, indicating that no change has been made after heating process. The contents of camosine and anserine were different according to the parts of their muscle. Especially chuck of the mammalian showed extremely low level of histidine dipeptides compared with other parts, while C/A ratio maintained certain level regardless of age, part, sex. Therefore, based on the content of histidine depeptides, could be found the difference of muscle composition among the species. Also C/A ratio of horse, pig, cattle, duck, sheep nd turkey were characteristic respectively.

The fatty acid composition of muscle were investigated to compare muscle composition among the 9 domestic animals including cattle. In major domestic animals, analyzed the effects of age, part and sex of the animal on their fatty acid composition. The content of 4 types of major fatty acids of muscle was determined and calculated their ratio. Myristic acid and palmitic acid levels were high in chicken and sheep. Besides dog muscle contained a lot of stearic acid. Linoleic acid content showed evident difference in the content depending on the animal species. The ratios of linoleic acid/palmitic acid (L/P ratio) and linoleic acid/stearic acid(L/S ratio) were characteristically high in horse and pig, whereas the ratio of palmitic acid/stearic acid(P/S ratio) was 0.7+_0.17, showing very low level in dog. As for the content of steric acid, in cattle and chicken it was higher in young animal than adults. In duck, the contents of all fatty acids and ratio were increased by the age. As for the content of fatty acids according to the part of chicken, high level was shown in thigh than in breast and wing, while there was no remarkable variation by the part in other animal. The differences in the content of myristic acid, palmitic acid and linoleic acid among some animal could be verified in muscle lipid composition. The L/P ratio which maintained certain level regardless of age, part, sex shown distinctive pattern between the species.