Research Note: Basic chemical composition, physicochemical, and textural characteristics of male and female guinea fowl meat.

The purpose of this study was to compare analyze the quality of meat depending on the type of muscle: breast muscles (m. Pectoralis superficialis and m. Pectoralis profundus) and leg muscles (m. Sartorius and m. Femorotibialis) in relation to the sex of the common guinea fowl (Numida meleagris). For the study, pectoral muscles and leg muscles from 10 females and 10 males at 20 wk of age were used to determine their chemical composition, physicochemical properties, and texture characteristics of the pectoral muscle were determined. Overall, pectoral muscles were characterized by higher protein content, lightness (L*), and electrical conductivity (EC ₂₄ ), and lower redness (a*), and pH ₂₄ compared to leg muscles. Leg muscles, on the other hand, were characterized by higher, collagen, intramuscular fat and salt content. In terms of pectoral muscle texture characteristics, males were characterized by lower chewiness value and were less gumminess. In conclusion, it can be said that the sex of the birds affected some of the pectoral muscle texture traits, but did not affect the remaining analyzed features of the pectoral and leg muscles. However, from the consumer's point of view, breast muscles contained more protein and less fat, so they are more dietary compared to leg muscles.
Competing Interests: DISCLOSURES The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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