# Molecular structural changes of Korat chicken meat as affected by packaging conditions during cold storage: Correlation to textural traits and sensory acceptance

## TL;DR

This study shows how different packaging methods affect the texture and quality of Korat chicken meat during cold storage.

## Contribution

The study reveals that modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) preserves meat texture and water-holding capacity better than other methods.

## Key findings

- MAP and vacuum packaging slowed protein denaturation and oxidation better than air packaging.
- Modified atmosphere packaging preserved higher water-holding capacity and tenderness scores on Day 12.
- CO₂ in MAP likely reduced bacterial growth and physical stress, improving meat quality.

## Abstract

This study investigated microstructural and molecular changes in Korat chicken (KC) meat, a Thai hybrid known for its unique meat characteristics, under air packaging (AP), vacuum packaging (VP), and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP: 30% CO₂/70% N₂) and their effects on texture and acceptability during 12 days of cold storage. Changes in water- and salt-soluble proteins, insoluble collagen, as well as carbonyl and free thiol contents indicated that MAP and VP effectively slowed protein denaturation and mitigated oxidation during storage better thab AP (P < 0.05). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirmed less myofibrillar shrinkage and collagen degradation in VP and MAP. Both packaging methods also preserved better texture profiles, including shear force, hardness, and water-holding capacity (WHC), and changes in secondary protein structure, resulting in higher tenderness and juiciness scores throughout storage (P < 0.05). Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that α-helix were associated with Day 0 samples, whereas β-sheet and antiparallel β-sheet were associated with AP and VP/MAP samples, respectively, on Day 12. This suggested that O2 absence promoted the conversion of α-helix to antiparallel β-sheets, enhancing water retention and meat firmness, particularly during extended storage. Notably, on Day 12, MAP preserved WHC (70.16%) and tenderness score (6.62) better than VP (WHC: 68.02%; tenderness score: 5.91) (P < 0.05). This could be plausibly due to the role of CO₂ in shaping anaerobic bacterial growth and reducing physical stress caused by vacuum condition. Therefore, these findings offer insights into optimizing packaging for better texture preservation in KC meat, particularly under MAP.

Image, graphical abstract