The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dry-aging and wet-aging conditions on the chemical composition, meat quality traits (color, water holding capacity, cooking loss, WBSF and pH) and shelf-life TBARS (2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) and VBN (volatile basic nitrogen) of loin (M. longissimus thoracis), sirloin (M. glutaeusmedus) and top-round (M. semimembranosus) cuts of Hanwoo cows. The dry-aging condition (temperature ℃, relative humidity %) was done for 60 d as 2℃, 65％, 20 d＋2℃, 75％, 20 d＋4℃, 85％, 20 d while, the wet-aging was done for 60 d at 1℃, 85%. Results revealed that moisture content was significantly higher in the dry-aged samples than that of the wet-aged samples at 60 d (p<0.05). The a*- and b*-values were significantly higher in 3 cuts as compared with those treated with wet-aging condition. During the dry-aging time, the WHC significantly increased in the loin and sirloin and they were significantly higher than wet-aging condition at 40 d and 60 d (p<0.05). The WBSF values significantly decreased with increased aging time and there was no significant difference between two aging methods. The TBARS and VBN contents significantly increased with increased aging time for all the wet- and dry-aged cuts, and their levels still fell within the acceptable standard limit. Generally, the TBARS and VBN contents were significantly higher in the dry-aged cuts, probably due to the increased levels of protein and fatty acids oxidations. Based on the results obtained in the present study, it can be suggested that application of dry-aging method can improve the quality characteristics of beef.

This study was conducted to elucidate the genetic relationships among native Korean cattle breeds by analyzing genetic variations and distances. Relationships among Hanwoo, Korean brindle, Korean black, Jeju black, and Holstein cattle were evaluated using 15 microsatellite markers. Korean brindle and Korean black cattle had the closest relationship based on the lowest genetic distance being observed between these breeds. A Neighbor-Net tree created using the Reynolds distances indicated that Korean brindle and black cattle formed a group separate from the Hanwoo population. However, an Fst pairwise test revealed that Hanwoo, Korean brindle, and Korean black cattle differed significantly (P <0.01). Moreover, the results of this study confirmed that Jeju black cattle became a separate established breed in Korea through a path different from that of cattle from inland regions, even though it is considered to be a Korean native breed. Overall, the results of our study indicate that Korean brindle and black cattle are indeed native Korean breeds that maintain an endangered status.