Observations on the 3-methylhistidine content of bovine, ovine and porcine muscles

The titres of 3-methylhistidine in bovine and ovine masseter/malaris muscles are similar to one another but low in relation to other skeletal muscles, whereas titres in porcine masseter/malaris resemble the latter. The process of mastication in bovines by masseter/malaris muscles appears to involve prolonged, slow action since the fibres are exclusively of type I. These ‘red’ fibres have very low titres of 3-methylhistidine in their myosin but normal values in their actin.