ARS | Publication request: Relationship of muscle exudate protein characteristics to broiler breast meat quality

Submitted to: Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: May 17, 2012
Publication Date: July 10, 2012
Citation: Bowker, B.C., Zhuang, H., Buhr, R.J. 2012. Relationship of muscle exudate protein characteristics to broiler breast meat quality [abstract]. Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract. p.471.

Technical Abstract: The amount of muscle exudate measured as drip loss is often used as an indicator of poultry meat quality. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between meat quality and the amount, protein content, and protein profile of drip liquid in broiler breast fillets. Fifty-six broilers were slaughtered and breast fillets were removed from the carcasses within 4 h postmortem. Drip liquid was collected through 96 h postmortem for the determination of protein content (biuret protein assay) and the protein profile (SDS-PAGE). Drip loss, Warner-Bratzler shear force, pH, color, cook yield, and moisture content were determined on all samples. The 20 fillets with the lowest drip loss percentage (1.09 ± 0.16) and the 20 fillets with the highest drip loss percentage (3.16 ± 0.15) were selected for protein evaluation. High drip loss samples exhibited higher (p<0.05) shear force values (8.05 kgf vs. 5.78 kgf), higher (p<0.01) L* values (54.4 vs. 51.9), and lower (p<0.0001) cook yield (81.5% vs. 84.9%) than low drip loss samples. The total protein content of the drip moisture did not differ (p>0.05) between high and low drip loss samples, but was negatively correlated to muscle pH (r = -0.55). The SDS-PAGE protein profiles of the drip liquid exhibited twelve prominent protein bands ranging from 24 to 155 kDa. The abundance of the 47 kDa protein band was correlated to drip loss (r = -0.32) and cook yield (r = 0.46). The abundance of the 56 kDa protein band was correlated to shear force (r = 0.32), cook yield (r = 0.40), and moisture content (r = -0.52). Lightness (L*) values were correlated to the relative abundance of the 40 kDa (r = 0.38) and 36 kDa (r = 0.34) protein bands. These data demonstrate that breast fillet meat quality characteristics are not only related to the amount of drip loss or muscle exudate, but also to the protein profile of the drip.