Changes in meat compositions in marinated broiler Pectoralis major with the woody breast condition

The study aimed to investigate the effects of the woody breast (WB) condition on chemical compositions in broiler Pectoralis fillets during the 3-day marination and after cooking. Broiler fillets (18 normal and 18 severe WB) were marinated in 3 marinade solutions (with a 25 g/100 g meat to marinade ratio): 0.625 g sodium tripolyphosphate/100 g (P), 5 g NaCl/100 g (S), or 5 g NaCl + 0.625 g sodium tripolyphosphate/100 g (SP), along with a non-marinated control (C). Contents of meat compositions (moisture, protein, collagen, and salt) were measured at 5 successive sampling points: D0 (pre-marinating), D1 (24-h post-marination-and-precooking), D2 (48-h post-marination-and-precooking), and D3 (72-h post-marination-and-precooking), and D4 (post-cooking). During 3-day marinating, it took 24 h for WB meat to reach dynamic equilibrium of moisture and protein compared with 48-72 h for normal meat. There were no interactions between marination and cooking on moisture and protein in meat samples with the WB condition. However, collagen and salt exhibited three-way interactions (P < 0.05) between muscle condition, marination time, and marinade solution for marination and between muscle condition, cooking, and marination for cooked meat. WB condition affects moisture, protein, collagen, and salt contents in marinated fillets and the effects vary with meat components.