Differences in the amino acid composition of muscles from pheasant and broiler chickens

The present paper explores amino acid composition of breast and thigh muscles of common pheasant and compares it with that in broiler chickens. The experimental feeding of both pheasant and broiler chickens proceeded for a period of 42 days at the identical conditions employing the same diet and rearing technology. Muscles were analysed for the content of following amino acids: Asp, Thr, Ser, Glu, Pro, Gly, Ala, Val, Met, Ile, Leu, Tyr, Phe, His, Lys, and Arg. The results show that the levels of most amino acids in thigh and breast muscles of pheasants (related to dry matter content) were significantly higher (P <= 0.01) than those in broiler chickens. In 42-day-old birds, the levels of individual amino acids in breast muscles (related to 100% of dry matter content) ranged from 8.02 to 127.32 g.kg(-1) in pheasant chickens and from 19.77 to 110.33 g.kg(-1) in broiler chickens while the corresponding average values in thigh muscles ranged from 14.77 g.kg(-1) to 132.77 g.kg(-1) in pheasant chickens and from 14.02 g.kg(-1) to 93.53 g.kg(-1) in broiler chickens. One interesting finding is that in the case of broiler chickens the levels of most amino acids in breast muscles were significantly higher (P <= 0.01) than those in thigh muscles. In the case of pheasant chickens, the difference between breast and thigh muscles was not confirmed which indicates that both muscles have high nutritive value. The results of amino acid composition of pheasant and broiler meat have proven a high nutritive value of pheasant meat in respect to human nutrition.