Evaluation of Muscle Quality and Biomimetic Sensory Evaluation of Different Breeds of Black-boned Chicken

The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in intramuscular fat content, melanin content, amino acid content and electronic sensory bionic evaluation of the pectoral muscles of five species of black-boned chicken (Taihe black-boned chicken, Yanjin black-boned chicken, Muchuan black-boned chicken, Jiuyuan black-boned chicken and Lueyang black-boned chicken), in order to provide data support for further research on the quality and flavor of local black-boned chickens. The results showed that there were differences between the groups in the intramuscular fat content and melanin content of the breast muscle of the five species of black-boned chicken, showing different gradient gap. Moreover, the relative contents of 14 amino acids, namely, aspartic acid, threonine, serine, glutamic acid, alanine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, lysine, histidine, arginine and proline were different among groups, among which the contents of amino acids were relatively higher in Lueyang black-boned chickens and Muchuan black-boned chickens. Furthermore, the electronic tongue analysis revealed that the taste of black-boned chicken was mainly fresh, fresh aftertaste and bitter, and there were significant differences in umami aftertaste among different varieties. The Taihe black-boned chicken and Yanjin black-boned chicken had a certain astringent aftertaste. The results of electronic nose detection showed that there were great differences in odor profiles among different breeds of black-boned chickens, and the gap in the odor profiles was the greatest between Yanjin black-boned chicken and the other four varieties, its flavor was the smallest in terms of the sensor response. In summary, the breast muscle of Lueyang black-boned chicken had better quality, it had higher intramuscular fat, melanin content and amino acid ratio, and all of the electronic sensory bionic evaluation response values were relatively higher compared to the other groups. Meanwhile, the different varieties of black-boned chicken had their own outstanding characteristics, and the results of this study would provide the theoretical reference for consumers to purchase black-boned chicken products.