Chicken muscle homogenate gelation properties: effect of pH and muscle fiber type

Gelation properties of chicken breast and thigh muscle homogenates at a protein concentration of 4.5% under different pH conditions (5.80–6.60) and those of myofibrillar proteins at a protein concentration of 2% were compared to determine the influence of muscle fibre types on gelation. The optimal gelling pH for breast muscle homogenates (pH 6.30) was slightly higher than that for thigh muscle homogenates (pH 5.80–6.30), a similar trend was found for the isolated chicken myofibrillar proteins (pH 6.00 for breast and 5.50 for leg). Similarly, the pH values at which breast muscle homogenate gels were weaker (pH<6.20) or stronger (pH⩾6.20) than thigh muscle homogenate gels were higher when compared with chicken breast and leg myofibrillar protein gels (pH<5.80 and pH>5.90, respectively).