• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.10
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• pp.1673-1682
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• 2024

Objective: Increasing breast meat production is one of the primary goals of the broiler industry. Over the past few decades, tremendous progress has been made in genetic selection and the identification of candidate genes for improving the breast muscle mass. However, the molecular network contributing to muscle production traits in chickens still needs to be further illuminated. Methods: A total of 150 1-day-old male 817 broilers were reared in a floor litter system. At the market age of 50 d, eighteen healthy 817 broilers were slaughtered and the left pectoralis major muscle sample from each bird was collected for RNA-seq sequencing. The birds were then plucked and eviscerated and the whole breast muscle was removed and weighed. Breast muscle yield was calculated as the ratio of the breast muscle weight to the eviscerated weight. To identify the co-expression networks and hub genes contributing to breast muscle yield in chickens, we performed weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) based on the 18 transcriptome datasets of pectoralis major muscle from eighteen 817 broilers. Results: The WGCNA analysis classified all co-expressed genes in the pectoral muscle of 817 broilers into 44 modules. Among these modules, the turquoise and skyblue3 modules were found to be most significantly positively (r = 0.78, p = 1e-04) and negatively (r = -0.57, p = 0.01) associated with breast meat yield, respectively. Further analysis identified several hub genes (e.g., DLX3, SH3RF2, TPM1, CAV3, MYF6, and CFL2) that involved in muscle structure and muscle development were identified as potential regulators of breast meat production. Conclusion: The present study has advanced our understanding of the molecular regulatory networks contributing to muscle growth and breast muscle production and will contribute to the molecular breeding of chickens in the future.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.66 no.5
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• pp.1069-1078
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• 2024

Woody breast (WB) is one of muscle myopathy found in chicken breast, characterized with enlarged size and extremely stiff texture. The WB condition is one of the most prevalent quality issues in the modern poultry industry. WB has been shown to be heritable, but no effective detection method of WB severity in live birds exists for the selection purpose. The objective of this study was to determine potential of a non-invasive, portable digital palpation device as WB detection method that can be used for the selection to estimate the heritability of WB. The physical and functional properties of WB was also investigated in comparison with normal breast (NB). Two hundred ten breast muscles were obtained from a local processing plant one day after harvest and sorted based on WB scoring (1 for NB and 2 and 3 for WB). The samples were subjected to physical and physicochemical analyses, determining biomechanical properties (muscle tone, stiffness, elasticity, relaxation, and creep), pH, color, cooking yield, and texture (firmness and compression energy were used for raw meat and shear force and energy for cooked meat). The least squares means of the following variables were significantly different between WB and NB (p < 0.01): stiffness (603.4 vs 565.8; N/m), and elasticity (1.40 vs 1.55). However, relaxation and creep were not significantly different (p > 0.05). These results collectively showed that biomechanical properties of WB differ from NB. The degree of muscle stiffness in WB can be considered as a trait to be selected. The WB score showed strong negative correlations with cooking yield (-0.77) and cooked L^*(-0.74), which means that as the breast becomes harder, the cooking yield decreases, and the color becomes darker after cooking. The WB score showed high correlations with physical and functional characteristics and exhibited strong correlations with the biomechanical properties measured by the device. Therefore, the results indicated that the digital palpation device has potential to detect the WB severity (degree of stiffness) of breast muscle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1865-1873
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• 2007

An experiment was performed to evaluate the effects of dietary metabolizable energy (ME) and lysine on carcass characteristics and meat quality in Arbor Acres (AA) broilers from 1 to 56 days of age. A total of 2,970 1-d-old male broiler chicks were randomly allocated to nine dietary treatments (three ME levels in combination with three lysine levels), and dietary ME and lysine concentrations were formulated by varying corn, soybean meal, tallow, and L-lysine sulfate concentrations. Live body weight (BW), carcass weight (CW), dressing percent, breast muscle weight (BMW), yield of breast muscle, muscle color (CIE L*, a*, and b*), pH values 45 min and 24 h postmortem ($pH_{45}$, and $pH_{24}$), meat shear force value (SFV), and water loss rate (WLR) were evaluated. Results showed that live body weight and dressing percent increased (p<0.05) as dietary energy increased. Higher dietary lysine content improved breast muscle weight. Neither carcass weight nor yield of breast muscle was affected by dietary energy or lysine content. Higher ME increased the b* value (p = 0.067) and $pH_{24}$ value (p<0.05), whereas it decreased SFV (p<0.05) and WLR (p = 0.06). Only water loss rate was influenced (p<0.01) by dietary lysine, which was higher in broilers from the high lysine diet as compared to those from medium or low lysine diets. The $pH_{45}$ value and L* value of breast muscle were not affected by ME or lysine. Significant interaction of dietary ME and lysine was found on a* value of breast muscle. These results indicated that dietary ME and lysine had important effects on breast muscle growth and meat quality, however their effects were different. Different concentrations of dietary ME and lysine might be considered to improve meat quality.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.577-586
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• 2022

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementing quercetin extracted from Sophora japonica flower (QS) to the diet of broiler chicks on their growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, cecal microbiota, serum lipid profiles, relative organ weight, and breast muscle quality. Methods: A total of 1,088 1-day-old broiler chicks (mixed sex) were randomly assigned to four groups based on the initial body weight (43.00±0.29 g). The experimental period was 35 days (starter, days 0 to 7; grower, days 7 to 21; finisher, days 21 to 35). There were 17 replicate cages per treatment and 16 birds per cage. Dietary treatments consisted of birds receiving basal diet without quercetin as the control group and treatment groups consisted of birds fed basal diet supplemented with 0.2, 0.4, or 0.6 g/kg QS. Results: With the increase of the QS dosage, body weight gain during days 0 to 7 (p = 0.021), 7 to 21 (p = 0.010), and 1 to 35 (p = 0.045), feed intake during days 0 to 7 (p = 0.037) and 1 to 35 (p = 0.025), apparent dry matter digestibility (p = 0.008), apparent energy retention (p = 0.004), cecal lactic acid bacteria counts (p = 0.023), the relative weight of breast muscle (p = 0.014), pH value from breast muscle (p<0.001), and the water holding capacity of breast muscle (p = 0.012) increased linearly, whereas the drip loss from breast muscle (p = 0.001) decreased linearly. Conclusion: The addition of QS in the diet of broiler chicks had positive effects on the breast muscle yield and breast muscle quality, and improved the dry matter digestibility and energy retention by increasing cecal beneficial bacteria counts, thus improving growth performance.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1470-1476
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• 2016

Octacosanol, which has prominent physiological activities and functions, has been recognized as a potential growth promoter in animals. A total of 392 1-d-old male Arbor Acres broiler chicks with similar body weight were randomly distributed into four dietary groups of seven replicates with 14 birds each supplemented with 0, 12, 24, or 36 mg octacosanol (extracted from rice bran, purity >92%)/kg feed. The feeding trial lasted for six weeks and was divided into the starter (day 1 to 21) and the grower (day 22 to 42) phases. The results showed that the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly improved in broilers fed a diet containing 24 mg/kg octacosanol compared with those fed the control diet in the overall phase (day 1 to 42, p = 0.042). The average daily gain and FCR both showed linear effects in response to dietary supplementation of octacosanol during the overall phase (p = 0.031 and 0.018, respectively). Broilers fed with 24 or 36 mg/kg octacosanol diet showed a higher eviscerated yield, which increased by 5.88% and 4.26% respectively, than those fed the control diet (p = 0.030). The breast muscle yield of broilers fed with 24 mg/kg octacosanol diet increased significantly by 12.15% compared with those fed the control diet (p = 0.047). Eviscerated and breast muscle yield increased linearly with the increase in dietary octacosanol supplementation (p = 0.013 and 0.021, respectively). Broilers fed with 24 or 36 mg/kg octacosanol diet had a greater (p = 0.021) $pH_{45min}$ value in the breast muscle, which was maintained linearly in response to dietary octacosanol supplementation (p = 0.003). There was a significant decrease (p = 0.007) in drip loss value between the octacosanol-added and the control groups. The drip loss showed linear (p = 0.004) and quadratic (p = 0.041) responses with dietary supplementation of octacosanol. These studies indicate that octacosanol is a potentially effective and safe feed additive which may improve feed efficiency and meat quality, and increase eviscerated and breast muscle yield, in broiler chicks. Dietary supplementation of octacosanol at 24 mg/kg diet is regarded as the recommended dosage in the broilers' diet.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.126-132
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• 2001

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of ultrasonic treatment on physicochemical and sensory properties of cooked chicken meat. Moisture content of ultrasonic treated breast meat was higher than that of control, fat content of control of breast and leg meat were higher than that of ultrasonic treatment, and protein of control of breast meat was higher than that of ultrasonic treatment. Hunters L(lightness)-and a(redness)-value were not different between cooking methods, L-value of breast meat and a-value of leg meat were higher without regard to cooking method. Hunterb (yellowness)-value was not different among cooking chicken meats. Cooking yield was not different between cooking methods, pH of ultrasonic treated chicken meats were higher than that of control. Water holding capacity and salt soluble protein extractability of ultrasonic treated breast meat were greater than that of control. Water soluble protein extractability of ultrasonic treated leg meat was higher than that of control, and shear force value was not different between cooking methods. Hardness, cohesiveness and gumminess were not different between cooking methods and parts of muscle. Springiness of ultrasonic treated leg meat was greater than that of control and chewiness of breast meat was higher than that of leg meat. Aroma, texture, juiciness and overall acceptability were not different between cooking methods, taste of ultrasonic treated leg meat was higher than that of control. In addition, the sensory scores of parts of muscle were affected greater than that of cooking methods.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 1985

To learn more about the productivity of edible meat and its functional properties of spent hen, 60 White Leghorn fowls at 20 month of age were randomly divided into 6 groups, 10 hen for each group, and processed. As the productivity of edible meat, the yield of dressed carcass, giblets, cut-up meat, and breast and leg (thigh and drustick) muscles were determined. The approximate chemical composition, the content of salt-soluble protein, the emulsifying capacity and W.H.C. of breast and leg muscle were measured as the functional properties. The results were summarized as follows. 1. The average live weight of spent hen was 1,576.7g from which the yield of dressed carcass and giblets were 998.9g(63.4%) and 75.3g(4.8%) respectively. It means the yield of ready-to-cook form was 1,074.2g(68.2%) and the inedible byproducts was 502.5g (31.8%). 2. The average, weight of each part of cut-up chicken were: neck 41.0g(4.1%), wings 135.9g (13.6%), breast 276.7g (27.7%), legs 323.6g (42.4%). back 176.1g(17.6%) and the cutting-loss was 45.6g(4.6%). 3. The average weight of total edible muscle from breast and leg was 51.5g(85.86% of breast and leg cut weight) and the percentages based on the carcass and live weights were 51.6% and 32.7%, respectively. 4. The contents of H$_2$O, protein, fat and water-protein ratio of breast muscle were 72.95%, 20.54%, 1.59% and 3.55, respectively and those of leg muscle were 71.9%, 19.12%, 3.96% and 3.76%, respectively. 5. The salt-soluble protein contents of breast and leg muscle were 7.97% and 6.26% and their concentrations based on the total protein content were 38.8% and 32.74%, respectively. 6. The emulsifying capacity of breast and leg muscle was 43.23$m\ell$and 43.23$m\ell$, respectively. 7. The W. H. C- of breast and leg muscle was 54.23% and 52.61%, respectively.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.835-850
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• 2018

The dramatic improvements in the growth rate and breast muscle size and yield in broilers through the intensive genetic selection, and the improvement in nutrition and management over the past 50 years have introduced serious abnormalities that influenced the quality of breast meat. The abnormalities include pale-soft-exudative (PSE) conditions, deep pectoral muscle (DPM) myopathy, spaghetti meat (SM), white striping (WS), and woody breast (WB) that have serious negative implications to the broiler meat industry. The incidences of PSE and DPM have been known for several decades, and their prevalence, etiology and economic impact have been well discussed. However, other abnormalities such as SM, WS and WB conditions have been reported just for few years although these conditions have been known for some time. The newly emerging quality issues in broilers are mainly associated with the Pectoralis major muscles, and the incidences have been increased dramatically in some regions of the world in recent years. As high as 90% of the broilers are affected by the abnormalities, which are expected to cause from $200 million to $1 billion economic losses to the U.S. poultry industry per year. So, this review mainly discusses the histopathological characteristics and biochemical changes in the breast muscles with the emphasis on the newly emerging abnormalities (SM, WS, and WB) although other abnormalities are also discussed. The impacts of the anomalies on the nutritional, functional, mechanical and sensory quality of the meat and their implications to the poultry industry are discussed.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.1213-1224
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• 2024

Objective: Enterotypes (ETs) are the clustering of gut microbial community structures, which could serve as indicators of growth performance and carcass traits. However, ETs have been sparsely investigated in waterfowl. The objective of this study was to identify the ileal ETs and explore the correlation of the ETs with growth performance and carcass traits in Muscovy ducks. Methods: A total of 200 Muscovy ducks were randomly selected from a population of 5,000 ducks at 70-day old, weighed and slaughtered. The growth performance and carcass traits, including body weight, dressed weight and evidenced weight, dressed percentage, percentage of apparent yield, breast muscle weight, leg muscle weight, percentage of leg muscle and percentage of breast muscle, were determined. The contents of ileum were collected for the isolation of DNA and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The ETs were identified based on the 16S rRNA gene sequencing data and the correlation of the ETs with growth performance and carcass traits was performed by Spearman correlation analysis. Results: Three ETs (ET1, ET2, and ET3) were observed in the ileal microbiota of Muscovy ducks with significant differences in number of features and α-diversity among these ETs (p<0.05). Streptococcus, Candida Arthritis, and Bacteroidetes were the presentative genus in ET1 to ET3, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed that Lactococcus and Bradyrhizobium were significantly correlated with percentage of eviscerated yield and leg muscle weight (p<0.05) while ETs were found to have a close association with percentage of eviscerated yield, leg muscle weight, and percentage of leg muscle in Muscovy ducks. However, the growth performance of ducks with different ETs did not show significant difference (p>0.05). Lactococcus were found to be significantly correlated with leg muscle weight, dressed weight, and percentage of eviscerated yield. Conclusion: Our findings revealed a substantial variation in carcass traits associated with ETs in Muscovy ducks. It is implied that ETs might have the potential to serve as a valuable biomarker for assessing duck carcass traits. It would provide novel insights into the interaction of gut microbiota with growth performance and carcass traits of ducks.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.692-698
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• 2005

Two experiments were conducted to examine the effect of graded levels of dietary chromium and leucine, and different fat sources on performance and body composition of broiler chickens. The results showed that chromium picolinate at 0.5 ppm significantly (p<0.05) lowered the carcass fat level. Gut weight and carcass water content were increased as a result of chromium treatment. Body weight, plucked weight, carcass weight, abdominal fat pad weight, breast yield and feed efficiency were unaffected by chromium treatment. Leucine did not interact with chromium to effect lean growth. Dietary leucine above the recommended maintenance level (1.2% of diet) markedly (p<0.001) reduced the breast muscle yield. The addition of fish oil to broiler diets reduced (p<0.05) the abdominal fat pad weights compared to birds on linseed diets. Fish oil is believed to improve lean growth through the effects of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in lowering the very low-density lipoprotein levels and triglyceride in the blood, in the meantime increasing glucose uptake into the muscle tissue in blood and by minimizing the negative impact of the immune system on protein breakdown. The amount of fat in the diet (2% or 4%) did not affect body composition.