Table 4 Meat quality attributes and proximate composition of Pectoralis major muscle belonging to broiler chickens fed a commercial basal diet (CON, n = 12; digestible Arg:Lys = 1.05, 1.05, 1.06 and 1.07) or the same basal diet supplemented with synthetic L-arginine (ARG, n = 12; digestible Arg:Lys = 1.15, 1.15, 1.16 and 1.17)
Variables | CON | ARG | SEM | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Meat quality attributes | ||||
pH 48 h post-mortem | 5.81 | 5.76 | 0.05 | 0.44 |
Lightness (L*) | 59.5 | 60.4 | 0.94 | 0.29 |
Redness (a*) | 2.07 | 2.07 | 0.25 | 0.75 |
Yellowness (b*) | 5.85 | 6.46 | 0.44 | 0.23 |
Drip loss, % | 1.97 | 1.81 | 0.18 | 0.47 |
Cooking loss – raw meat, % | 15.4 | 15.4 | 1.02 | 0.98 |
Marinade uptake, % | 10.6 | 9.9 | 0.95 | 0.61 |
Cooking loss – marinated meat, % | 12.5 | 12.9 | 0.70 | 0.58 |
Proximate composition | ||||
Moisture, % | 76.4 | 76.8 | 0.49 | 0.20 |
Crude protein, % | 21.7 | 21.8 | 0.43 | 0.91 |
Total fat, % | 1.71 | 1.61 | 0.19 | 0.59 |
Ash, % | 1.40 | 1.34 | 0.17 | 0.75 |