The Relationship Between Muscle Fiber Characteristics and Some Meat Quality Parameters in Turkish Native Sheep Breeds

Abstract

This research was conducted to determine muscle fiber characteristics and its relationship with some meat quality traits in Longissimus dorsi (LD) and Semitendinosus (ST) muscles from lambs of some Turkish native sheep breeds. A total of 36 singleton male lambs were used as experimental pure breed animals of Karayaka (n = 6), Kıvırcık (n = 6), Middle Anatolian Merino (n = 6), Awassi (n = 6), Morkaraman (n = 6) and Akkaraman (n = 6) breeds. All experimental animals were fed the same diet until they reach to a target weight of 40 kg weight. After the feeding period all lambs were slaughtered and LD and ST muscle samples were collected for determination of some meat quality traits (tenderness, pH, water holding capacity, and colour) and ATPase staining of muscle fibers. Type IIB muscle fiber numbers of Morkaraman sheep were higher than those of other breeds in LD muscle (P < 0.05). Awassi lambs had higher number of (P < 0.05) type IIA fibers and total fiber numbers in ST muscle compared to other breeds. Diameter of type I muscle fiber of ST muscle from Kıvırcık lambs was higher than those of other breeds (P < 0.05). There were positive correlations between diameters of type I (r = 0.513; P < 0.05), type IIIA (r = 0.476; P < 0.05) and tenderness in LD and ST muscles of all breeds. Results of the present study showed that muscle fiber characteristics of lambs of different Turkish native sheep breeds differ and muscle fiber characteristics influence some meat quality traits. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.