Effects of probiotics and sex on physicochemical, sensory and microstructural characteristics of broiler chicken meat

Figures & data

Table 1. Chemical composition of diets for broiler chickens.

Chemical analysis	Starter	Grower 1	Grower 2	Finisher
	0–8 days	9–24 days	25–32 days	33–42 days
DM, %	89.58	87.93	89.79	89.96
CP as fed basis, %	23.08	22.45	22.10	21.63
Crude fat as fed basis, %	5.41	5.45	5.52	4.80
Crude fibre as fed basis, %	2.21	1.60	2.00	2.24
Crude ash as fed basis, %	3.75	4.67	4.45	4.59
ADF as fed basis, %	5.66	4.74	4.44	5.36
NDF as fed basis, %	10.19	9.26	9.60	10.27
ME as fed basis, MJ/kg	12.60	13.20	13.33	13.09

DM: dry matter; CP: crude protein; ADF: acid detergent fibre; NDF: neutral detergent fibre; ME: metabolizable energy.

Table 2. Microbial profile of EM probiotics.

Determination target	Cell count (cfu/mL)
	Pro-Biotyk (Em-15)	EMFarma
Lactobacillus spp.	1.5 × 10^7	5.0 × 10^6
Bifidobacterium spp.	1.0 × 10^3	2.0 × 10^5
Lactococcus spp.	8.0 × 10^6	4.0 × 10^6
Streptococcus thermophilus	8.0 × 10^4	6.0 × 10^6
Bacillus subtilis	3.0 × 10^2	1.1 × 10^2
Rhodopseudomonas spp.	3.0 × 10^2	<10^1
Saccharomyces cerevisiae	1.0 × 10^2	2.0 × 10^2

Table 3. Effect of diet on chemical composition of breast and leg muscles in 42-day-old broiler chickens.

Item		Group (G) – sex (S)
		Control		Probiotics		p-Value
		♂ (n = 12)	♀ (n = 12)	♂ (n = 12)	♀ (n = 12)	SEM	G	S	G × S
Water	BM	72.30	72.10	72.20	72.10	0.70	.32	.30	.30
	LM	70.80^b	71.20^a	71.60^a	69.60^c	0.30	.00	.67	.04
Protein	BM	23.40	23.20	23.30	23.40	0.20	.62	.98	.58
	LM	19.60	20.30	20.60	20.50	0.20	.05	.17	.01
Fat	BM	1.60	1.80	1.90	1.60	0.20	.47	.28	.06
	LM	6.40^a	4.50^b	4.20^b	4.80^b	0.40	.00	.00	.03
Collagen	BM	1.60	1.60	1.50	1.70	0.10	.62	.13	.45
	LM	1.70	1.60	1.60	1.70	0.10	.61	.22	.90

BM: breast muscle; LM: leg muscle.

^a,b,cValues within a row followed by different letter differ significantly (p < .05).

Table 4. Some physicochemical traits of breast and leg meat from 42-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens.

Trait	Group (G) – sex (S)				SEM	p Value
	Control		Probiotics
	Male (n = 12)	Female (n = 12)	Male (n = 12)	Female (n = 12)		G	S	G × S
pH24
BM	6.05	6.01	6.22	6.02	0.10	.14	.07	.22
LM	6.51^b	6.51^b	6.81^a	6.58^b	0.10	.01	.12	.11
EC24 (mS/cm)
BM	10.20	10.60	10.60	10.00	0.30	.83	.80	.11
LM	8.80	8.50	10.60	10.00	0.20	.08	.55	.03
Drip loss (%)
BM	2.10	2.00	2.30	2.30	0.10	.56	.14	.31
LM	0.70	0.90	0.80	0.80	0.10	.14	.14	.94
Cooking loss (%)
BM	24.20	22.80	23.50	23.80	0.30	.31	.13	.73
LM	22.10	22.00	22.00	22.50	0.50	.20	.99	.11
L* – lightness
BM	59.00	58.70	58.70	59.30	1.00	.78	.76	.46
LM	52.60	53.50	55.00	51.90	0.40	.73	.35	.11
a* – redness
BM	17.60	18.00	17.50	17.40	0.60	.42	.53	.12
LM	18.40	18.00	17.50	17.40	0.60	.27	.43	.10
b* – yellowness
BM	7.60	8.60	7.60	9.00	0.40	.52	.00	.60
LM	7.70	7.90	8.40	8.00	0.50	.32	.83	.49

BM: breast muscles; LM: leg muscles.

^a,bValues within a row followed by different letter differ significantly (p < .05).

Table 5. Textural and rheological traits of pectoralis major muscle from 42-d-old Ross 308 broiler chickens.

Trait	Group (G) – sex (S)				SEM	p Value
	Control		Probiotics
	Male (n = 12)	Female (n = 12)	Male (n = 12)	Female (n = 12)		G	S	G × S
Hardness (N)	24.90	25.10	24.10	23.60	1.10	.31	.88	.74
Cohesiveness	0.30	0.30	0.30	0.30	0.10	.62	.12	.51
Springiness (cm)	1.40	1.10	1.20	1.10	0.10	.65	.01	.41
Chewiness (N × cm)	9.60	8.70	9.80	7.70	0.60	.52	.02	.31
Gumminess (N)	8.10	7.70	8.20	7.00	0.50	.46	.10	.43
WB shear force (N)	45.70^b	46.30^b	56.70^a	53.60^a	3.10	.00	.67	.52
Sum of elastic moduli (KPa)	448	412	458	465	29.40	.30	.63	.47
Sum of viscous moduli (kPa × s)	18466	17579	18635	18169	526	.48	.21	.69

^a,bValues within a row followed by different letter differ significantly (p < .05).

Table 6. Sensory characteristics of pectoralis major muscle from 42-d-old Ross 308 broiler chickens.

Trait	Group (G) – sex (S)				SEM	p Value
	Control		Probiotics
	Male (n = 12)	Female (n = 12)	Male (n = 12)	Female (n = 12)		G	S	G × S
Aroma intensity (pts.)	4.00	3.90	4.00	3.80	0.10	.53	.23	.53
Aroma desirability (pts.)	4.20	4.10	4.10	4.00	0.10	.15	.06	.82
Juiciness (pts.)	4.00	3.90	3.90	3.80	0.10	.07	.12	.31
Tenderness (pts.)	4.20	4.20	4.30	4.00	0.10	.96	.16	.13
Taste intensity (pts.)	4.20	4.30	4.20	4.10	0.10	.16	.70	.16
Taste desirability (pts.)	4.20	4.30	4.20	4.20	0.10	.68	.92	.13

Table 7. Microstructure of pectoralis major muscle from 42-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens.

Trait	Group (G) – sex (S)				SEM	p Value
	Control		Probiotics
	Male (n = 12)	Female (n = 12)	Male (n = 12)	Female (n = 12)		G	S	G × S
Fibre cross section area (μm^2)	242	326	288	301	18.90	.66	.05	.14
Fibre perimeter (μm)	69.70	83.10	75.00	77.50	2.60	.99	.02	.09
Fibre diameter H (μm)	17.90	20.50	18.90	19.80	0.60	.81	.02	.23
Fibre diameter V (μm)	18.60	21.10	20.80	21.00	0.70	.25	.14	.21
H:V diameter ratio (x)	0.96	0.97	0.95	0.91	0.10	.33	.78	.48
Perimysium thickness (μm)	7.60	7.40	7.40	6.90	0.80	.75	.74	.85
Endomysium thickness (μm)	1.80	1.80	1.80	1.90	0.10	.81	.70	.91