Relationship between muscle fiber characteristics and meat quality parameters in Turkish native goat breeds

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine muscle fiber characteristics and their effect on some meat quality parameters in Longissimus dorsi (LD) and Semitendinosus (ST) muscles from kids of some Turkish native goat breeds. Male kids of Hair (n=6), Angora (n=6), Kilis (n=6) and Honamli (n=6) (pure breeds) were used as experimental animals. All kids were slaughtered at 3 months of weaning age and muscles samples were collected for determination of type I, IIA and IIB muscle fibers and some meat quality parameters. It was found that type IIA fiber number of Hair and Honamli kids were higher than those of other breeds in LD muscle. Similarly, Hair kids had higher number of (P less than 0.05) type IIA in ST muscle compared to other breeds. Generally, there were negative correlations between tenderness, pH and number of muscle fiber types in LD and ST muscles of all breeds (P less than0.05). Also, there were positive correlations between intra muscular fat and number of muscle fiber types in LD muscles of all breeds (P less than 0.05). Conclusively, kids of Turkish native goat breeds had different muscle fiber characteristics which can affect meat quality.