Pse‐like Syndrome in Breast Muscle of Domestic Turkeys: A Review

There are several similarities between the development of pale, soft, exudative (PSE) meat in breast muscle (Pectoralis supeficialis) of domestic turkeys, swine longissimus and ham muscles. Although the ultimate cause of the syndrome is not known, it appears that the combination of antemortem stress sensitivity of the domestic turkey and predominantly glycolytic metabolism of the breast muscle, results in accelerated rigor mortis processes. The consequent low pH (<5.8) combined with high breast muscle temperature (>35C), typically causes protein denaturation leading to soft and discolored, PSE meat with reduced protein functionality. Our studies revealed that phosphorylase, a sarcoplasmic enzyme, becomes denatured and tightly associated with the myofibrils in PSE turkey breast