Research Note: PSE condition is associated with increased apoptotic potential in broiler pectoralis major muscle

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This study compared the meat quality and sensory quality characteristics of broiler pectoralis major (PM) muscle between meat quality classes, including reddish, firm, and non-exudative (RFN) and pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) conditions. Additionally, we also investigated the associations between the meat quality classes and expression levels of cytochrome c, initiator (caspase 9), and effector caspases (caspase 3 and 7) at the early postmortem period. A total of 135 PM muscles from broilers were used, and meat quality classes were determined according to the pH24 h and lightness values and classified into the RFN (N = 81) and PSE (N = 54) conditions. The PSE breasts showed lower muscle pH15 min and pH24 h values compared to the RFN breasts (P 0.05). The PSE group exhibited higher extent of water loss, including drip loss and cooking loss, compared to the RFN group (P 0.05). At 15 min postmortem, all apoptosis-related molecules, including cytochrome c, caspase 9, caspase 3, and caspase 7, were present at higher levels in the PSE group than in the RFN group (P < 0.05). These results indicated that higher apoptotic potentials were associated with the development of PSE chicken breasts. Therefore, the variation of meat quality in chicken breast can be explained as being affected by the expression levels of apoptosis-related factors at the early postmortem period.

Keywords

• cytochrome c
• caspases
• apoptotic potential
• meat quality
• chicken breast