Post-mortem biochemistry of Pekin duckling and broiler chicken Pectoralis muscle

Biochemical post-mortem changes between red and white avian muscle were determined using duckling and chicken Pectoralis muscles, respectively. Six live Pekin ducklings and six live broiler chickens, in each of two trials, were obtained from commercial plants and processed at a pilot facility. After evisceration, carcasses were held at 4 C, then Pectoralis muscles were removed at .25, 1, 4, and 24 h post-mortem, and sampled for pH, lactate, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content, and R-value (inosine to adenine ratio). Duckling Pectoralis pH significantly (P less than .05) decreased from 6.25 to 5.66 from .25 to 24 h post-mortem, respectively, as compared with that of the chicken, which decreased from 6.41 to 5.62 for the same times. Duckling lactate values, from .25 to 24 h, increased from 15.86 to 28.86 mumol/g, respectively, and chicken lactate values increased from 27.62 to 53.51 mumol/g. The ATP content of the duckling Pectoralis muscle decreased from 1.59 to .14 mumol/g and chicken Pectoralis decreased from 3.42 to .21 mumol/g from .25 to 24h, respectively. The R-values of duckling and chicken Pectoralis significantly increased from .25 to 24 h (.98 to 1.37 and .80 to 1.51, respectively). Duckling and chicken biochemical measurements were significantly different at all post-mortem sampling times, except for 24-h values of pH (5.66 versus 5.62, respectively) and 24-h contents of ATP (.14 versus .21 mumol/g, respectively). The different post-mortem biochemical measurements between duckling and chicken Pectoralis muscle is evidence that different rates of post-mortem metabolism and rigor development exist between these red and white avian breast muscles.