Abstract:
Objective: This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive evaluation model for black-feathered broilers by multivariate statistical methods, providing a reference for establishment of chicken meat quality evaluation standards. Method: Two distinctive black-feathered indigenous chicken breeds (Langshan chicken and Chengkou mountain chicken) and the white-feathered commercial broiler Arbor Acres (AA) were selected as research subjects. A comprehensive analysis was conducted, systematically measuring 22 indicators across four categories: Texture properties, conventional qualities, nutritional components, and trace elements on the market age of the product. Multiple analytical approaches, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis (CA), were employed to compare quality differences among different chicken breeds and establish a comprehensive evaluation system. Results: Chicken quality varied considerably among breeds. The Langshan chicken exhibited significantly lower values in textural properties (such as cohesiveness and springiness) and lightness (
L*) compared to the Chengkou Mountain chicken and Arbor Acres broilers (
P<0.05), while it possessed a significantly higher redness (
a*) value (
P<0.05). AA broiler had the highest tenderness but the lowest water-holding capacity. Nutritional analysis indicated that Chengkou mountain chicken and Langshan chicken contained significantly higher protein, inosinic acid, and flavor-associated amino acids than AA broiler (
P<0.05), whereas AA broiler had higher vitamin A content (
P<0.05). For trace elements, Langshan chicken showed notably elevated selenium levels (
P<0.05). PCA extracted four principal components, the cumulative variance was 80.1%, and the evaluation model was constructed as Z=0.59Z
1+0.22Z
2+0.12Z
3+0.07Z
4. The comprehensive scores demonstrated similar quality between Chengkou mountain chicken and Langshan chicken (0.400 vs. 0.401), both significantly outperforming Arbor Acres broiler (−0.793) (
P<0.05). Meat from roosters generally surpassed hens in quality. PCA score plots of PC
1 and PC
2 clearly distinguished the three breeds. CA classified the 36 chicken samples into two major clusters, one comprising the black-feathered breeds and the other consisting of the Arbor Acres broilers, which demonstrates the reliability of the model-based grading. Conclusion: Chicken breeds with different genetic backgrounds (Langshan, Chengkou Mountain, and Arbor Acres) exhibited quantifiable differences across multiple dimensions, including texture, nutrition, and trace elements. The established comprehensive evaluation model effectively distinguished the meat quality characteristics among these breeds.