Evaluation of the effect of nopal meal on meat quality of Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica)

Resumen

Objective: to evaluate the effect of supplementation, with nopal meal in the diet of Japanese quails, on the slaughter variables and quality properties of meat.

Design/ Methodology/ Approach: 200 female quails (49 d) were used that were randomly assigned to four treatments with five replicates (10 birds per experimental unit). The T1 treatment was the control diet, while the T2, T3 and T4 included different doses of nopal meal in miligrams per kilogram of feed (400, 800 and 1200 mg kg^-1).

Results: in the quails evaluated, nopal meal did not modify (p >0.05) the weight at slaughter, yield or weights of non-chilled and chilled carcasses. Likewise, the weight of organs (p > 0.05) was not affected, but the length of the gizzard was modified (p ≤ 0.05) with the addition of flour. Nonetheless, nopal meal did not influence the weights, both of the chilled and post-cooked legs (p > 0.05), nor the yield or texture of quail meat. However, the pH decreased, which improved luminosity (p < 0.05), and increased the intensity of red color, while the intensity of yellow decreased. In addition, water retention capacity was higher in meat of those quails supplemented with 400 mg kg^-1 of nopal flour in their feed.

Limitations/ Implications of the study: according to our results it seems that, with higher concentrations of nopal meal, yields could also be higher. This modification is suggested for further research.

Findings/ Conclusions: nopal meal did not influence the weight of the chilled legs, the cooking yield or meat texture. However, it is an additive that lowered the pH of quail meat; thus, it increased the luminosity and accentuated red color in meat, while decreasing the yellow pigments.