Department of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85084 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Department of Meat Science, West Pomeranian University of Technology,71550 Szczecin, Poland.
Poult Sci. 2024 Jul;103(7):103763. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103763. Epub 2024 Apr 11.
The purpose of the study was to compare young (6-wk-old) and spent (52-wk-old) Japanese quail in terms of body weight, carcass characteristics, and some meat quality traits. Whole carcasses were dissected, pectoral muscles and leg muscles were sampled for determination of basic chemical composition and Lab* color parameters, while m. pectoralis major was sampled for texture and microstructure traits. Age of quails had a significant effect on body weight, carcass weight, carcass yield, pectoral muscle, abdominal fat and skin with subcutaneous fat, and carcass remainders contents in eviscerated carcass. Spent quails had significantly higher intramuscular fat content in pectoral and leg muscles and protein content in breast muscle, and also lower content of water in breast and leg muscles than young quails. Slaughter age significantly affected lightness (L*) and redness (a*) of pectoral muscles, as well as texture traits (except for cohesiveness) and microstructure of m. pectoralis major, except for thickness of perimysium and endomysium. Regardless of age, quail sex had an effect on the carcass traits studied (except for leg muscle content), intramuscular fat content of pectoral and leg muscles, water content of leg muscles and yellowness of pectoral muscle. In addition, a significant effect of quail sex was found on cutting work, springiness, chewiness and marked microstructural characteristics, except for vertical fiber diameter. The interaction between age and sex was significant for most slaughter and microstructural characteristics and also WB-shear force of m. pectoralis major, and L*, b* pectoral muscles. Higher fatness of carcasses, higher intramuscular fat in meat, and poorer textural and microstructural characteristics of m. pectoralis major spent Japanese quail indicate poorer fulfillment of most consumers' requirements compared to carcasses and meat of young quails.
本研究旨在比较雏鸡（6 周龄）和老鸡（52 周龄）在体重、屠体特征和一些肉质特性方面的差异。将全屠体解剖，取胸肌和腿肌用于测定基本化学成分和 Lab颜色参数，同时取胸大肌用于测定质地和微观结构特性。鸡龄对体重、屠体重量、屠体产率、胸肌、腹脂和带皮皮下脂肪以及去内脏屠体残余物含量有显著影响。老鸡的胸肌和腿肌的肌内脂肪含量以及胸肌的蛋白质含量显著高于雏鸡，而胸肌和腿肌的含水量则低于雏鸡。屠宰年龄显著影响胸肌的亮度（L）和红色度（a*），以及胸大肌的质地特性（除了黏附性）和微观结构，除了肌束膜和肌内膜的厚度。无论鸡龄如何，鸡的性别对所研究的屠体特性（除了腿肌含量）、胸肌和腿肌的肌内脂肪含量、腿肌的含水量以及胸肌的黄色度都有影响。此外，鸡的性别对切割功、弹性、咀嚼性和明显的微观结构特性（除了垂直纤维直径）有显著影响。年龄和性别之间的相互作用对大多数屠宰和微观结构特性以及胸大肌的 WB-剪切力和胸肌的 L*、b*有显著影响。老鸡的屠体脂肪含量较高、肌肉中肌内脂肪含量较高、胸大肌的质地和微观结构特性较差，表明与雏鸡的屠体和肉相比，老鸡较难满足大多数消费者的要求。
