Jeon, J-HYoo, MJung, T-HJeon, W-MHan, K-S2017-11-092017-11-092017-11-032017-11-03Korean Journal for Food Science of Animal Resources, 37 (5): 682~689 (2017). https://doi.org/10.5851/kosfa.2017.37.5.6821225-8563https://hdl.handle.net/10292/10961The aim of this study was to investigate the digestibility of different Korean Hanwoo beef cuts using an in vitro digestion model, in vitro physicochemical upper gastrointestinal system (IPUGS). The four most commonly consumed cuts — tenderloin, sirloin, brisket and flank, and bottom round — were chosen for this study. Beef samples (75 g) were cooked and ingested into IPUGS, which was composed of mouth, esophagus, and stomach, thereby simulating the digestion conditions of humans. Digested samples were collected every 15 min for 4 h of simulation and their pH monitored. Samples were visualized under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to examine changes in the smoothness of the surface after digestion. Analysis of the amino acid composition and molecular weight (MW) of peptides was performed using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively. Following proteolysis by the gastric pepsin, beef proteins were digested into peptides. The amount of peptides with higher MW decreased over the course of digestion. SEM results revealed that the surface of the digested samples became visibly smoother. Total indispensable and dispensable amino acids were the highest for the bottom round cut prior to digestion simulation. However, the total amount of indispensable amino acids were maximum for the tenderloin cut after digestion. These results may provide guidelines for the elderly population to choose easily digestible meat cuts and products to improve their nutritional and health status.Copyright © Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License http://creativecommons.org/licences/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Digestibility; Korean Hanwoo beef cut; In vitro digestion model; Amino acid profile; Protein digestionJournal ArticleOpenAccess10.5851/kosfa.2017.37.5.682