Biomarker discovery and authentication of cold-slaughtered chicken through classical analytical procedures and mass spectrometry based proteomic approaches

ABSTRACT

1. This study evaluated the suitability of routine analytical procedures and used mass spectrometry-based proteomic approaches to distinguish meat from dead chicken/ cold-slaughtered birds (CS), electrically stunned and slaughtered birds, as per standard protocols (ES), and birds slaughtered according to halal guidelines (HS).

2. Meat from CS birds had lower (P < 0.05) pH, water-holding capacity and higher (P < 0.05) lipid oxidation, haem iron content, residual blood and total viable counts relative to ES and HS meat indicating poor quality.

3. The results demonstrated the presence of unique protein bands on SDS-PAGE only in CS meat that can be used for routine screening.

4. Protein analysis using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry identified haemoglobin subunit alpha-A and alpha-D; Adenylate kinase isoenzyme 1 as reliable and stable marker proteins for authentication of dead chicken meat under raw and cooked conditions and halal slaughtered chicken, respectively.

5. The methods used may be employed by the food safety and regulatory agencies for regular screening of meat quality and to authenticate CS or HS chicken.

KEYWORDS:

• Cold slaughter
• halal
• stunning
• proteomics
• haemoglobin

Acknowledgments

The authors would like thank Dr. T. Kotaiah, MD, Indbro Poultry Farms, Hyderabad for extending all support and providing dead birds for the study. They sincerely thank University officials of Central Agricultural University, Mizoram and Director ICAR-NRC on Meat, Hyderabad for their support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2023.2239168.

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded by National Fellow program of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Ministry of Agriculture and Framer’s Welfare, Government of India [grant No. Ag.Edn. 27/04/NP-NF(VP)/2019-HRD].