Table 2. Rheological properties, lipid oxidation (TBARS), and chemical composition of the pectoralis major muscle in male broiler chickens at 42 days of age, according to treatment¹⁾

Variables	Control	GAA	TM	GT	p-value	SEM2)
pH	5.46±0.0033)a4)	5.64±0.03b	5.55±0.12b	5.75±0.05b	0.02	0.02
L*	53.00±0.71	50.50±2.06	51.00±0.71	51.33±21.59	0.05	0.31
a*	0.75±0.02c	0.92±0.02b	0.88±0.01b	1.10±0.06a	<0.001	0.001
b*	13.73±0.15	13.40±1.07	13.75±0.05	13.00±0.97	0.69	0.16
Cooking losses (%)	41.88±1.02	43.50±1.12	42.50±1.12	43.33±1.11	0.06	0.24
Shear force (kg/g)	4.80±0.58	4.48±0.37	4.85±0.54	4.70±0.32	0.53	0.10
TBARS (mg MDA/kg)	0.16±0.02	0.14±0.03	0.13±0.01	0.14±0.01	0.17	0.001
Dry matter (%)	22.75±0.28	23.00±1.48	22.50±2.12	22.47±1.19	0.83	0.32
Water (%)	77.28±1.48	77.25±1.22	77.00±1.12	77.53±0.63	0.98	0.25
Crude protein (%)	19.48±0.28	19.38±0.19	19.58±0.19	19.50±0.36	0.66	0.05
Ether extract (%)	2.24±0.01	2.27±0.03	2.23±0.02	2.25±0.04	0.12	0.001
Ash (%)	1.06±0.03	1.07±0.03	1.04±0.04	1.05±0.01	0.450	0.007

Control, birds receiving basal diets with eggs incubated under standard conditions; GAA (control supplement), control group supplemented with GAA (1.2 g/kg); TM (thermal manipulation), birds receiving basal diets with eggs incubated under pre-TM conditions; and GT (thermal manipulation supplement), TM group supplemented with GAA (1.2 g/kg). All treatments were subjected to chronic heat stress from 28 to 42 days of age.
SEM, standard error of the mean.
All values are mean±SD (n=40).
Different superscript letters in the same row indicate significant differences at (p<0.05).