The effects of post-mortem electrical stimulation and muscle tensioning in two broiler muscles.
High voltage post-mortem electrical stimulation (ES) and muscle tensioning during chilling (MT) were applied to broiler carcasses to determine the effect of this combined treatment on absorbance ratio (R- value), sarcomere shortening, and myofibrillar fragmentation in muscles of differing fiber type composition. The ES + MT treatment resulted in a greater effect on these three parameters in the posterior Latissimus dorsi (predominantly twitch-glycolytic) than in the anterior L. dorsi (predominantly tonic-oxidative). The differing responses of these two muscles to the ES + MT treatment combination may be useful in explaining the effects of rigor-accelerating treatments such as ES + MT in avian and mammalian muscles.
Walker
L T
LT
Department of Poultry Science, Texas A&M University System, College Station 77843-2472, USA.
Birkhold
S G
SG
Kang
I S
IS
Hirschler
E M
EM
Sams
A R
AR
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005511:Food Handling; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D012518:Sarcomeres / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors