Effects of marketable ages on meat quality through fiber characteristics in the goose

Abstract

Goose meat is increasingly popular among consumers because of its good quality. The fiber characteristics have been well demonstrated to be key contributing factors of meat quality, and the marketable ages are also closely related to meat quality. However, little is known about the effect of different marketable ages on the quality of goose meat through its fiber characteristics. Here, fiber characteristics of Yangzhou geese of different marketable ages (70, 90, and 120 d) and their effect on meat quality were investigated. The results showed that only fast-twitch fibers were present in breast muscle, irrespective of age, and that few slow-twitch fibers could be identified in leg muscle, especially in gastrocnemius and extensor digitorum longus. Fiber diameter in breast muscle increased rapidly from age 70 d to 90 d, from 19.88 to 26.27 μm, and remained stable for 90 d thereafter. The diameter and cross-sectional area of muscle fiber continue to grow with day increasing in leg muscle. In addition, we measured the proximate composition and physical properties at different ages. Among the 3 marketable ages investigated, the 120-day-old geese had higher intramuscular fat and protein content, as well as lower moisture content, both in breast and leg meat. Greater lightness and pressing loss, with lower redness and shear force, were observed in the breast and leg meat of 70-day-old geese when compared with 90- or 120-day-old geese. Taken together, although older marketable age hardly affected muscle fiber type in geese, it would contribute to larger muscle fiber area, higher intramuscular fat and protein content, as well as redder and chewier meat. As a result, the reasonable marketable age should be taken into account to improve quality in goose meat production, and the marketable age of 90 or 120 d was recommended and it could potentially improve meat quality in goose meat production.

Keywords: goose; marketable age; meat quality; muscle fiber.

Figure 1

Different muscular tissues of Yangzhou geese at 3 marketable ages. (A) 70-day-old, 90-day-old, and 120-day-old geese, and images of breast muscle and leg muscle for each time of sacrifice. (B) Schematic diagram of breast muscle and different muscular tissues in leg muscle. Abbreviations: BM, breast muscle; EDL, extensor digitorum longus muscle; GAS, gastrocnemius muscle; SOL, soleus muscle.

Figure 2

The muscle fiber type composition in geese of different ages. Immunohistochemical analyses for 4 muscular tissues using anti-fast (MYH1A) and anti-slow (MYH7B) myosin skeletal heavy chain, in geese of different ages. Red arrows point to examples of fibers with positive immunostaining for fast-twitch myosin; Green arrows point to examples of fibers with positive immunostaining for slow-twitch myosin. Magnification of 200× was used (Bar = 100 μm). Abbreviations: BM, breast muscle; EDL, extensor digitorum longus muscle; GAS, gastrocnemius muscle; SOL, soleus muscle

Figure 3

Relative mRNA expression of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms in muscle from geese of different ages. (A) MYH1A, type IIb, fast-twitch. (B) MYH1B, type IIa, fast-twitch. (C) MYH7B, type I, slow-twitch. In (A–C), mRNA expression was normalized to β-actin gene expression. Vertical bars represent mean ± SE (n = 6). Statistically significant differences are indicated by different letters (P < 0.05). Abbreviations: BM, breast muscle; EDL, extensor digitorum longus muscle; GAS, gastrocnemius muscle; SOL, soleus muscle

Figure 4

Muscle fiber morphology traits during the growth of geese. (A) Hematoxylin and eosin staining. Magnification of 200 × was used (Bar = 100 μm). (B) Muscle fiber diameter. (C) Muscle fiber cross-sectional area. (D) Muscle fiber density. Vertical bars represent mean ± SE (n = 6). Statistically significant differences are indicated by different letters (P < 0.05). Abbreviations: BM, breast muscle; EDL, extensor digitorum longus muscle; GAS, gastrocnemius muscle; SOL, soleus muscle