Pale, soft, and exudative meat in turkeys treated with succinylcholine.
Rapid post-mortem metabolism concomitant with the early onset of rigor mortis can lead to the development of pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat. However, a reliable, nonlethal method for induction of this syndrome for the ante-mortem identification of abnormal turkeys has not been identified. The present study was conducted to evaluate the potential use of succinylcholine for inducing PSE meat in susceptible turkeys. Four-week-old Nicholas toms were either uninjected (controls) (n = 44) or injected with succinylcholine and butorphanol (n = 76) in combination. Post-mortem tissue samples were taken from the Pectoralis at 15 min, 2 h, and 4 h, for pH and R-value (the ratio of inosine to adenosine) determination. L*values were evaluated at 4 and 24 h post-mortem and drip loss and cook loss were determined. Means for pH, R-value, L*value, drip loss, and cook loss did not differ due to injection treatment. When Pectoralis were grouped as normal (L* < 53) or pale (L* > 53), pale fillets had lower pH and higher R-values than normal birds by 15 min post-mortem. Decreased water-holding properties were evident as drip loss and cook loss were increased in the pale group. The observed frequency of pale birds was 21.6% in the population, and the occurrence of pale birds was highest in the butorphanol-treated group. These findings suggest that although butorphanol did not affect overall treatment means for the test parameters, more turkeys in the treated group exhibited PSE meat.
McKee
S R
SR
Department of Poultry Science, Texas A&M University System, College Station 77843-2472, USA.
Hargis
B M
BM
Sams
A R
AR
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002077:Butorphanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007267:Injections / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D009467:Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010858:Pigmentation; D013390:Succinylcholine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D014422:Turkeys / Q000502:physiology*
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009467:Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents; D013390:Succinylcholine; D002077:Butorphanol