Table 3.

Meat quality traits of pectoral and leg muscles as influenced by zeolite, sex and its interaction.

Itemd n = 10	Groupe				SEM	P value
	CM	CF	ZM	ZF		Zeolite × Sex	Zeolite	Sex
Pectoral muscle
pH24 h	5.87ab	5.95a	5.84ab	5.83b	0.017	0.029	0.014	0.289
L*	41.42a	36.67b	37.83ab	40.52a	0.551	0.003	0.908	0.356
a*	15.19	16.47	16.37	15.34	0.304	0.308	0.960	0.839
b*	3.47	2.12	2.73	2.79	0.240	0.270	0.936	0.181
Drip loss (%)	1.82	1.53	1.64	2.08	0.131	0.485	0.492	0.773
WHC (%)	32.68ab	31.29b	35.97a	34.94ab	0.618	0.024	0.004	0.332
Protein (%)	20.89ab	20.82ab	20.99a	20.67b	0.041	0.032	0.745	0.014
Collagen (%)	1.39	1.37	1.42	1.38	0.026	0.902	0.680	0.548
Salt (%)	0.26b	0.37a	0.29b	0.38a	0.012	< 0.001	0.451	< 0.001
IMF (%)	2.46b	2.80ab	2.51b	3.07a	0.069	0.002	0.249	0.001
Water (%)	77.05a	76.33b	76.91a	76.09b	0.089	< 0.001	0.286	< 0.001
Leg muscle
L*	37.84	37.69	38.92	38.27	0.551	0.871	0.460	0.722
a*	15.49	14.37	14.56	14.18	0.351	0.579	0.432	0.294
b*	2.98	2.81	2.87	3.63	0.291	0.753	0.552	0.614
WHC (%)	25.65b	31.19a	29.76a	30.17a	0.598	0.003	0.200	0.011
Protein (%)	18.78c	19.26b	19.82a	19.12b	0.067	< 0.001	< 0.001	0.401
Collagen (%)	1.49	1.46	1.51	1.63	0.025	0.080	0.059	0.364
Salt (%)	0.54ab	0.52b	0.57a	0.51b	0.007	0.002	0.319	0.002
IMF (%)	5.80b	5.90b	5.48b	6.84a	0.113	< 0.001	0.173	0.001
Water (%)	74.42a	73.54b	73.64b	72.48c	0.126	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001

^a,b,cMean values with various letters in the row differ statistically significantly between all groups, including interaction (P < 0.05).

^dL* lightness, a* redness, b* yellowness, WHC water holding capacity, IMF intramuscular fat.

^eCM male control group, CF female control group, ZM experimental male group fed with zeolite, ZF experimental female group fed with zeolite.