title: Meat quality and the histological structure of breast and leg muscles in Ayam Cemani chickens, Ayam Cemani × Sussex hybrids and slow-growing Hubbard JA 957 chickens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to determine the quality of meat and the histological structure of muscles of Ayam Cemani chickens, Ayam Cemani × Sussex hybrids and slow-growing Hubbard JA 957 chickens and to examine whether crossing generally available Sussex chickens with little available Ayam Cemani gives a good quality product of interest to the poultry industry and in food technology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The size of breast and leg muscle fibers varied among genotypes. The breast and leg muscles of slow-growing Hubbard JA 957 chickens had the largest fiber diameter. The histological and biochemical properties of muscles, including the type, number, proportions, diameter and metabolic profile of fibers, had a significant effect on the pH and water-binding capacity of meat, thus affecting its quality. The muscle fibers of Ayam Cemani chickens were approximately half the size of the muscle fibers of Hubbard JA 957 chickens. Ayam Cemani and Ayam Cemani × Sussex gave a product of as good quality as Hubbard JA 957 chickens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Meat from Ayam Cemani chickens is a rich source of protein and could be highly valued by gourmet consumers, connoisseurs and dieticians for its rarity and originality. The results of this study show that genotype (Ayam Cemani, Ayam Cemani × Sussex, Hubbard JA 957) affected the quality and color of meat and the histological profile of chicken breast and leg muscles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Poultry Breeding, Faculty of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Łukasiewicz
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niemiec
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wnuk
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mroczek-Sosnowska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D005121:Extremities; D063427:Food Quality; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D010369:Pectoralis Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins
keywords: chickens; histological structure of muscles; meat quality