## 3 Results and Discussion
### Texture Analysis  
The effects of HHP treatments on the texture properties of wild red deer meat samples were analyzed using Warner-Bradzler (WB) shear force, texture profile analysis (TPA) hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, and chewiness. Results for samples measured on Day 1 and Day 14 are presented in Table 3.  
Shear force, which reflects the resistance to cutting and is indicative of tenderness, showed significant differences across pressure treatments and storage days. On Day 1, the control samples exhibited a shear force of 40.32 \(\pm\) 3.89 N, while increasing pressure levels generally led to higher shear forces, peaking at 87.39 \(\pm\) 6.48 N for 550 MPa. Notably, treatments at 450 MPa and above resulted in significantly higher shear forces compared to the control, indicating increased firmness due to protein denaturation and cross-linking at high pressure levels [32]. By Day 14, the shear force of control samples increased to 82.19 \(\pm\) 4.98 N, which may reflect limited post-mortem proteolysis and higher connective tissue content typical of wild game meat. Unlike farm animals, where aging often improves tenderness, wild species such as red deer may exhibit reduced tenderization during storage [33]. Interestingly, samples treated with 300 MPa and 450 MPa showed reductions in shear force on Day 14, suggesting that moderate pressures may promote proteolysis during storage, enhancing tenderness.  
Hardness, measured through TPA, revealed distinct trends with pressure and storage time. On Day 1, samples treated at low to moderate pressures (150-400 MPa) showed significantly lower hardness values compared to the control (23.90 \(\pm\) 1.23 N) (\(p\) < 0.05), with the lowest mean hardness observed at 350 MPa (4.30 \(\pm\) 0.34 N). In contrast, samples treated at higher pressures (450-600 MPa) exhibited hardness values comparable to the control, with no statistically significant differences among them. This observation aligns with previous reports [23; 34] that HHP can cause either softening or hardening of meat proteins, depending on factors such as temperature, pressure, and processing time. These changes are attributed to protein denaturation, aggregation, or gelation, which alter the structural properties of the meat matrix. By Day 14, higher-pressure treatments (500-600 MPa) demonstrated further increases, indicating that the textural effects of high-pressure treatment persisted over time.  
The texture analysis highlights the significant impact of high hydrostatic pressure on the structural and functional properties of wild red deer meat. At moderate pressures (150-300 MPa), the results suggest a balance between protein denaturation and proteolysis, leading to tenderness improvements over storage. In contrast, higher pressures (450-600 MPa) induced greater hardness, chewiness, and cohesiveness due to extensive protein gelation and matrix densification. These findings align with previous studies [23; 34; 32] indicating that HHP alters meat texture through pressure-induced protein modifications, including partial denaturation, aggregation, and gel formation.  
The storage period also influenced texture properties, as proteolytic activity likely contributed to tenderness in some pressure-treated samples, particularly at 250-300 MPa. However, at higher pressures, the structural rigidity imparted by HHP appeared to counteract proteolysis, resulting in firmer textures even after 14 days of storage.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Pressure (M/Pa)**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Shear Force WB**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Hardness TPA**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Choiseweness**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Springiness**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Cheweness TPA**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Shear Force WB**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Hardness TPA**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Cheweness**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Springiness**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Cheweness TPA**} \\  & (N) & (N) & (N) & & & & & & & & & & & \\ \hline
**Control** & \(0.32\pm 3.98^{\