Meat quality of male and female Italian Padovana and Polverara slow-growing chicken breeds

摘要

The study characterised and compared proximate composition and fatty acid (FA) profile ofbreast and leg meat of chickens belonging to Padovana and Polverara Italian local breeds. Birdswere slaughtered at 183 days of age and four experimental groups were formed: Padovanamales (PAD M), Padovana females (PAD F), Polverara males (POL M) and Polverara females (POLF). Proximate composition was assessed on 10 breasts and 10 legs per group, whereas FA profileand cholesterol content were assessed on six samples per cut per group. Breast meat proximatecomposition resulted in similarity between the two genotypes and sexes. Genotype did notaffect breast FA profile except for C18:1 n-11, whereas females breast meat was richer in DHA(p .05) and thus in n-3 (p .05). Leg meat exhibited greater variability due to genotype andsex. Indeed, PAD chicken legs were richer in dry matter (p .01), lipids (p .01) and cholesterol(p .01) than POL. It emerged that leg meat from PAD breed was characterised by a more desirable FA profile due to its higher UFA:SFA (p .05) and lower n–6/n–3 (p .05) ratios. Despiteexhibiting a lower PUFA:SFA ratio than males (p .05), females exhibited a better n–6/n–3 ratio(p .01). The two genotypes and the two sexes possess peculiar nutritional quality. The aim ofthis study was to create economic interest around these local productions to assuretheir survival.