An experimental study was carried out to evaluate the effect of capsaicin on meat quality attributes and associated biochemical alterations in chicken. The birds were divided into three experimental groups: control, neuropathic, and capsaicin-treated neuropathic groups following a sciatic nerve crush–induced neuropathic pain model. Eaten chicken was randomly allocated equally among the three groups. Neuropathic pain was induced by surgically exposing and crushing the right sciatic nerve. Birds in the treated group received local infiltration of capsaicin (1 mg/kg) at the site of nerve injury, whereas the control and untreated neuropathic groups received only saline infiltration. After four weeks, plasma malondialdehyde levels were estimated as an indicator of oxidative stress, while Thio barbituric acid and trimethylamine contents were analysed to assess meat quality. Sensory evaluation revealed a decline in meat quality parameters in neuropathic birds, indicating the adverse effect of pain on meat quality. Significant differences were observed between control and neuropathic duck meat samples for various sensory attributes. Administration of capsaicin markedly attenuated sciatic nerve crush–induced pain and reduced oxidative stress markers. It can therefore be concluded that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of capsaicin following sciatic nerve injury in chicken contribute to improved meat quality compared with untreated neuropathic birds.

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