Meat quality traits and muscle characteristics in high or low fear lines of Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) subjected to acute stress.

ABSTRACT

1. The influence of acute stress before slaughter on muscle and meat quality was studied in adult male quail from lines divergently selected for long (LTI) or short (STI) duration of tonic immobility (TI) and from the unselected (C) control line. 2. When subjected to acute stress, birds from the long TI line responded differently to those of the control or the low fear lines. LTI birds exhibited a higher plasma creatine kinase and a smaller increase in plasma corticosterone levels, a higher pHu and drip loss values for breast meat associated with no differences in L*a*b* colour values; a higher percentage of fast glycolytic myofibres (IIb) and correspondingly (correlate) higher glycolytic (activity) in the pectoralis major (PM) muscle, and consequently lower oxidative enzyme activity in the PM muscle. 3. It is concluded that acute stress affected muscle metabolism differently in the STI, C and LTI lines. Hence, selection for TI, which is correlated with underlying fearfulness, can indirectly lead to differences in meat quality.