Effect of refrigeration and freezing on the oxidative stability of WB chicken breast

Wooden Breast (WB) myopathy has been observed in fast growing birds and is characterized by partial or full hardness of the Pectoralis major muscle. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cold storage (refrigeration and freezing) of severe WB chicken breasts (WBS) on lipid and protein oxidative reactions. A total of 15 WBS chicken breasts and 15 normal chicken breasts (N), with no myopathy, were used in this study. Chicken breasts were stored under refrigeration (1 ± 2 °C) for 0, 11 and 14 days, and freezing (−18 ± 2 °C) for 0, 45 and 90 days, with 3 chicken breasts per sample being sampled for each time, except for day 0, with samples being the same for both storage conditions. WBS chicken breasts exhibited lower protein content and higher lipid and moisture content compared to N samples. Regarding storage type, freezing did not impact lipid oxidation of WBS chicken breasts; however, refrigerated storage reduced TBARS and WOF levels. Total protein carbonyl content was significantly impacted by refrigerated storage (30% increase) and freezing (140% increase). Regardless of storage type, WBS samples were more oxidized (lipids and proteins) compared to normal samples (N).