EFFECT OF MARINATION ON THE QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF CHICKEN BREAST MEAT COOKED BY DIFFERENT METHODS

Marination is a simple technological treatment used to improve the tenderness and flavor of meat by soaking it in an aqueous solution which composed of different ingredients. The effect of marination and different cooking methods (microwave,roasting, boiling, and frying) on the chemical composition, quality characteristics (i.e., PH value, meat color (L*, a*, and b*), cooking loss, water holding capacity(WHC), andMicrostructure characteristics (i.e.,myofibril of pectoralis major) of chicken breast meat were analysed. The present study demonstrated that the use of marination process together with cooking methods significantly modified the chemical composition of chicken breast meat. Also quality characteristics were evaluated and they were significantly different (P<0.O5) between the marinated cooked chicken breast and the other unmarinated cooked (control). In addition transmission electron microscopy TEM) observations illustrated changes in myofibril units (sarcomeres) of pectoralis major of chicken muscle Fragmentation, physical disruptions, and gaps or splitting occurring within these myofibril, especially in the regions adjacent to the Z-lines and within the A-band and I-band myosin/actin are associated with tenderization. Finally our results indicate that marination process is a good technique to improve the quality of chicken breast meat cooked by different methods.