Evaluation Of Some Parameters Of Post Mortem Changes Of Pheasant (Phasianus Colchicus)

Post mortem changes were evaluated in muscle tissues of 99 male, uneviscerated pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) stored for up to 14 days at 0 and 4 degrees C. The control group (Group I) included regularly slaughtered and bled pheasants (n=33). From approximately 350 pheasants hunted on a single occasion, specimens were taken and, on the basis of X-ray examination performed from latero-lateral and dorso-ventral body projection of hunted pheasants, two groups were constituted: Group II included pheasants (n=33) with one or multiple shots in the muscle tissues but not in the body cavity, whereas Group III included pheasants (n=33) with shots in both muscle tissues and the body cavity. Each group was divided into two subgroups, in which uneviscerated pheasants were stored at 0 C and 4 degrees C, respectively, for a maximum of 14 days. Randomly selected pheasants from each subgroup (n=4), were examined on days 0, 3, 7, and 14. The following post mortem changes in breast and thigh muscles were evaluated: pH value (in watery extract), lactic acid and ammonia concentration. Generally, low pH values were associated with higher concentrations of lactic acid, most pronounced in breast muscle. Significant differences (P<0.05) in pH - both at 0 and 4 degrees C storage temperature - were found for breast muscles between Groups I and II, albeit average differences were merely in the range of merely 0.1 to 0.2 units. Thigh muscles of Group I had significantly lower pH (0.2 to 0.4 units) than Groups II and III, for all study days. A statistically significant difference (P<0.05) was found between the lactic acid concentrations in breast muscles (4 degrees C) between groups II and III. The highest average concentrations of ammonia in the breast muscle (day 14) were determined in the Group III (4 degrees C), and the lowest in the group of slaughtered pheasants (4 degrees C). The highest average concentrations of ammonia in the thigh muscles were in Group III (0 degrees C), and the lowest in the group of slaughtered pheasants (0 degrees C). This difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). In summary, muscles from pheasants being slaughtered instead of hunted were characterised by lower pH, higher lactic acid and lower ammonia concentration at the end of the storage period.