<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>This study examined the quantitative relationships among ultrasonographic image attributes and chemical composition of the pectoralis major muscles in broiler chickens that received four different dietary fat supplements (Group SO: soybean oil; Group FO: flaxseed oil; Group SO+FO: soybean oil+flaxseed oil; and Group BT: beef tallow; n=10 birds/group). Ultrasonograms of birds’ pectoral muscles, in a transverse (T) and longitudinal (L) plane, were obtained just before slaughter at 6 weeks of age and were subjected to digital image analyses to determine mean pixel intensity (MPI) and pixel heterogeneity values (standard deviation of numerical pixel values; MPH; a.k.a first order echotextural characteristics). Thirty-eight chemical characteristics of the muscles were determined post-mortem (crude fat, protein, and dry matter as well as fatty acid profiles) and were analyzed for correlations with the echotextural variables. A total of 12 (L-MPI: 7; L-MPH: 4; and T-MPH: 1 correlation), 5 (L-MPI: 2; L-MPH: 2; and T-MPI: 1 correlation), 15 (L-MPI: 10; T-MPI: 4; and T-MPH: 1 correlation) and 8 (L-MPI: 2; L-MPH: 1; and T-MPH: 5 correlations) significant correlations were recorded in Groups SO, FO, SO+FO and BT, respectively. When the data were pooled for all 40 birds studied, significant correlations with echotextural attributes were recorded for eighteen different chemical constituents, with the strongest overall correlation found between crude fat content and T-MPI (r=0.52, P=0.0005). In conclusion, there exists a potential application for ultrasonographic imaging <italic>in situ</italic> combined with computerized image analysis to estimate certain chemical constituents of pectoralis major muscles in broiler chickens. However, the existence and strength of correlations among ultrasonographic image attributes and muscle composition are affected by the source of dietary fat and relative abundance (“threshold concentrations”) of individual chemical components.</p></abstract>

This study examined the quantitative relationships among ultrasonographic image attributes and chemical composition of the pectoralis major muscles in broiler chickens that received four different dietary fat supplements (Group SO: soybean oil; Group FO: flaxseed oil; Group SO+FO: soybean oil+flaxseed oil; and Group BT: beef tallow; n=10 birds/group). Ultrasonograms of birds’ pectoral muscles, in a transverse (T) and longitudinal (L) plane, were obtained just before slaughter at 6 weeks of age and were subjected to digital image analyses to determine mean pixel intensity (MPI) and pixel heterogeneity values (standard deviation of numerical pixel values; MPH; a.k.a first order echotextural characteristics). Thirty-eight chemical characteristics of the muscles were determined post-mortem (crude fat, protein, and dry matter as well as fatty acid profiles) and were analyzed for correlations with the echotextural variables. A total of 12 (L-MPI: 7; L-MPH: 4; and T-MPH: 1 correlation), 5 (L-MPI: 2; L-MPH: 2; and T-MPI: 1 correlation), 15 (L-MPI: 10; T-MPI: 4; and T-MPH: 1 correlation) and 8 (L-MPI: 2; L-MPH: 1; and T-MPH: 5 correlations) significant correlations were recorded in Groups SO, FO, SO+FO and BT, respectively. When the data were pooled for all 40 birds studied, significant correlations with echotextural attributes were recorded for eighteen different chemical constituents, with the strongest overall correlation found between crude fat content and T-MPI (r=0.52, P=0.0005). In conclusion, there exists a potential application for ultrasonographic imaging in situ combined with computerized image analysis to estimate certain chemical constituents of pectoralis major muscles in broiler chickens. However, the existence and strength of correlations among ultrasonographic image attributes and muscle composition are affected by the source of dietary fat and relative abundance (“threshold concentrations”) of individual chemical components.

Correlations between first order echotextural characteristics and chemical composition of pectoralis major muscles in broiler chickens receiving different dietary fat supplements

Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph

Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering

Department of Nutrition, Animal Biotechnology and Fisheries, Faculty of Animal Science

Department of Genetics, Animal Breeding and Ethology, Faculty of Animal Science

Annals of Animal Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

This study examined the quantitative relationships among ultrasonographic image attributes and chemical composition of the pectoralis major muscles in broiler...

Correlations between first order echotextural characteristics and chemical composition of pectoralis major muscles in broiler chickens receiving different dietary fat supplements

Published Online: May 12, 2022

Page range: 803 - 813

Received: Mar 01, 2021

Accepted: Sep 03, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2021-0074

Keywords
broiler chicken, pectoral muscle, ultrasonography, echotexture, chemical composition

© 2022 Bahareh Ahmadi et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Correlations between first order echotextural characteristics and chemical composition of pectoralis major muscles in broiler chickens receiving different dietary fat supplements

Published Online: May 12, 2022

Page range: 803 - 813

Received: Mar 01, 2021

Accepted: Sep 03, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2021-0074

Keywordsbroiler chicken, pectoral muscle, ultrasonography, echotexture, chemical composition

© 2022 Bahareh Ahmadi et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
broiler chicken, pectoral muscle, ultrasonography, echotexture, chemical composition