QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF ANIMAL AND POULTRY MUSCLE TISSUE ON THE HISTOLOGICAL LEVEL

Abstract

The article presents data of a comparative analysis of the quality of muscle
tissue in different topographic areas of the bodies of sheep, pigs and turkeys. The diameter of
the muscle fibers of the biceps femoris of sheep is higher by 9,5 and 4,8%, and the number of
fibers is less by 10,2 and 6,9% in comparison with the triceps brachii muscle and the longissimus dorsi muscle, respectively. The highest score of “marbling” was observed in the longissimus dorsi muscle, and the superiority was 3,34 and 2,92 points, and the content of connective tissue was less by 0,9 and 1,2 abs. percents compared with the triceps brachii muscle and
biceps femoris muscle, respectively. In pigs of the Large White breed, a similar tendency was
found to be superior in diameter of muscle fibers of the biceps femoris muscle by 8,5 and 19,1
%, and the number of fibers was less by 3,2 and 21,1 %, in comparison to the triceps brachii
muscle and the longissimus dorsi muscle, respectively. The assessment of the “marbling” of
the longissimus dorsi muscle had an advantage of 0,94 and 2,99 points, the connective tissue
content was 0,6 and 0,4 % lower compared to the triceps brachii muscle and biceps femoris
muscle, respectively. Turkey thigh meat was characterized by 21,5 % smaller diameter of
muscle fiber compared with the muscle tissue of the breast. At the same time, it was noted
that a number of thigh muscle fibers was greater by 11,7 %. Assessment of meat quality on
the histological level in combination with other indicators makes it possible to objectively assess the quality of the product.