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ObjectiveOne of the goals of the poultry industry is to select animals that increased growth rates and also muscle mass while maintaining meat quality. The present study was conducted to evaluate performance, some meat quality characteristics, and gene expression associated with growth (IGF-I, IGF-II, TGF-β1, Myostatin) in three strains of Arian, Ross, and Cobb.Materials and methodsTo do this research 150 one-day-old (male and female) broiler chicks of Arian, Ross, and Cobb strains were categorized in a completely randomized design with three treatments, five replicates, and 10 observations per replicate. The function, some physical characteristics of meat, and the relative expression of their genes were investigated. Strain types had a significant effect on the feed conversion ratio (FCR).ResultsIn the whole the rearing period, the lowest FCR was for the Ross strain and the highest was for the Cobb strain. TPA test of the breast showed that hardness, cohesiveness, and chewiness in Arian, Ross, and Cobb strains were significantly different. Maximum hardness and chewiness were for the Arian and Cobb strains and maximum cohesiveness was for the Ross strain. There were no significant differences between strains for adhesiveness, springiness, or gumminess. TPA test of the thigh showed that hardness, chewiness, and gumminess were not significantly different, but cohesiveness, adhesiveness, and springiness were significantly different between strains. Maximum cohesiveness and springiness were observed in the Arian strain and maximum adhesiveness was for the Ross strain. Breast and thigh pressure tests of the three strains showed that hardness and deformation of hardness were not significantly different. IGF-I and IGF-II relative gene expression of breast meat had no significant difference between strains. TGF-β1 and myostatin relative gene expression were significantly different and the Cobb strain had the highest relative gene expression of TGF-β1. Also, IGF-I and IGF-II relative gene expression had no significant difference in the liver.ConclusionsGiven the individual advantages of each strain in some traits, more research is needed with specialized diets for each strain to be able to comment conclusively on the superiority of their traits.