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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #413746
Research Project: Assessment of Quality Attributes of Poultry Products, Grain, Seed, Nuts, and Feed

Location: Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit

Title: Alteration in the water properties in hot-deboned normal and wooden breast fillets during the first 24 h postmortem

Author
item CHOI, JANGHAN - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item SHAKERI, MAJID - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item HARRIS, CAITLIN - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item Buhr, Richard - Jeff
item KIM, WOO KYUN - University Of Georgia
item Kong, Byungwhi
item Bowker, Brian
item Zhuang, Hong

Submitted to: Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2024
Publication Date: 7/15/2024
Citation: Choi, J., Shakeri, M., Harris, C., Buhr, R.J., Kim, W., Kong, B.C., Bowker, B.C., Zhuang, H. 2024. Alteration in the water properties in hot-deboned normal and wooden breast fillets during the first 24 h postmortem. Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract. No. 237: 118.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The purpose of the study was to investigate the alterations in the water properties in normal (N) and wooden breast (WB) fillets during the initial 24 h postmortem. Fillets without visible muscle myopathies or with severe WB condition were collected in three independent replicates (5 fillets per meat condition per independent replication). A total of 30 broilers (56 days old) were electrically stunned and exsanguinated, and the fillets were immediately deboned after death (hot-deboned) and placed in plastic bags and put in ice. Water property parameters including time constants (T), proportion (P), and abundance per 100 g of meat (A) were measured using time domain nuclear magnetic resonance during the initial 24 h postmortem. Effects of WB condition, time postmortem, and their interactions were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA with repeated measures. Segmented linear regression was used to calculate the slopes and inflection points. T2 distributed analysis showed 4 water populations with relaxation times of 4-5 milliseconds (ms) for hydration water (T2b), 40-60 ms for intra-myofibrillar water (T21), 80-210 ms for extra-myofibrillar water with less mobility (T22a), and 210-500 ms for extra-myofibrillar water with greater mobility (T22b). Time constants T2b, T21, and T22a were greater in WB fillets than those in N fillets (P < 0.05). There were interactions between WB condition and postmortem time in T2b, T21, and T22a (P < 0.05). Differences in T2b, T21, and T22a between N and WB fillets peaked at 3 h postmortem, indicating that the effect of WB condition on water mobility may be associated with rigor mortis onset in fillets. The A21 increased and A22b decreased during the first 24 h postmortem (P < 0.05). WB fillets had greater A21, A22a, and A22b compared to N fillets (P < 0.05). There was an interaction between WB condition and postmortem time in A21 (P < 0.05). The absolute values for the slopes before the inflection time point were consistently greater than the slopes after the inflection time point in P21 and P22b, indicating that the changes in relative water abundance can be divided into two stages in deboned fillets during 24 h postmortem. The inflection time points of P21 and P22b of the WB fillets were lower than those of the N fillets and near 3 h postmortem (N: > 3.5 h vs. WB: < 3.5 h), indicating that the changes in proportions of intra-myofibrillar water and extra-myofibrillar water with greater mobility are affected by WB condition and rigor mortis onset. Our results demonstrated that there were significant differences in water properties between N and WB fillets during the early postmortem period and the differences may be affected by rigor mortis onset.