Evaluating Candidate Gene Expressions, pH Levels, and Growth Hormone Gene Polymorphisms in different Chicken Breeds: Investigations for Meat Color Regulation and Abdominal Fat Deposition

HE PRESENT study investigated genetic factors influencing meat quality in Fayoumi, Matrouh, Mamourah, and domesticated Leghorn chickens focusing on evaluated gene expression of thromboxane A synthase 1 (TBXAS1), matrix metallopeptidase 27 (MMP27), solute carrier family 2 member 6 (SLC2A6), and glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase domain containing 5 (GDPD5) genes that associated with meat color, and explored the growth hormone (GH) gene polymorphisms and their association with abdominal fat deposition (AbFW).Our results demonstrated distinct meat color characteristics among the breeds.Lightness of meat color was evident in the breast of Mamourah and the thigh of Fayoumi that associated with lower expression levels of SLC2A6, MMP27, and TBXAS1.Matrouh exhibited higher levels of redness in both breast and thigh that correlated with a slight elevation in TBXAS1 in breast meat but a downregulation in thigh meat.The highest levels of yellowness were observed in the breast of Matrouh and Mamourah and the thigh of Fayoumi and Leghorn that linked to up-regulation of GDPD5, followed by TBXAS1.GH gene identified three different alleles (A, B, and C) with five possible genotypes (AA, AB, BB, AC, and CC).The AB genotype was predominant in Matrouh (0.6) with a higher AbFW (0.64) and the AC genotype in Fayoumi (0.8) with a higher AbFW (0.55), whereas Mamourah and Leghorn chickens predominantly had the AA genotype (0.9 and 0.6, respectively), which was associated with lower AbFW (0.2 and 0.18, respectively).The pH level was acidic in all breeds.This research offers valuable insights into bird selection strategies aimed at enhancing meat quality.