Comparison of physic°Chemical characteristics of hot-boned chicken breast and leg muscles during storage at 20°C

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the physic°Chemical changes of hot-boned chicken breast and leg muscles. Chicken breast and leg muscles from 56 broilers were excised within a 15 min post-mortem (PM) and stored at 20°C. Physic°Chemical traits were determined at 0.5, 6, 12, and 24 h PM. The ultimate pH of leg muscle was higher than that of breast muscle (p<0.05). The content of glycogen in the breast muscle was relatively higher than that in the leg muscle until 6 h PM (p<0.05). R-values showing rigor mortis of breast and leg muscles were completed after or before 6 h PM. Breast muscle had less cooking loss than leg muscle (p<0.05). Drip loss did not significantly differ between breast and leg muscles with the exception of that at 6 h PM. The sarcomere length of leg muscle was relatively longer than that of breast muscle (p<0.05). The MFI of leg muscle was significantly lower than that of breast muscle (p<0.05). The shear force of leg muscle was lower than that of breast muscle at 6 and 12 h PM (p<0.05); however, that of both muscles did not significantly differ at 24 h PM.