Comparison of high n-3 PUFA levels and cyclic heat stress effects on carcass characteristics, meat quality, and oxidative stability of breast meat of broilers fed low- and high-antioxidant diets

Pečjak Pal, Manca (author), Leskovec, Jakob (author), Levart, Alenka (author), Pirman, Tatjana (author), Salobir, Janez (author), Rezar, Vida (author)

This study investigated the individual and combined effects of a high dietary n-3 PUFA intake and cyclic heat stress (HS) on the carcass characteristics, meat quality, and oxidative stability of broiler breast meat and the potential of antioxidant supplementation (vitamins E, C, and selenium) to mitigate these effects. A total of 192 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to 24 pens within two controlled environment chambers and fed with the following diets: a basal diet low in antioxidants according to NRC recommendations (NRC group), a basal diet according to Aviagen recommendations additionally supplemented with 200 IU/kg vitamin E, 250 mg/kg vitamin C, and 0.15 mg/kg selenium (HAOX group), and these two diets further supplemented with 5% linseed oil (NRC N-3 and HAOX N-3 groups). On day 22, the broilers were exposed to the following two environmental conditions: thermoneutral (TN, 21 °C) or cyclic HS (HS, 34 ± 1 °C, 7 h/d) in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design. A high intake of n-3 PUFAs significantly decreased growth performance, dressing percentage, and breast yield, while the incidence of pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat characteristics and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased. Cyclic HS reduced body weight (BW) and average daily feed intake (ADFI), but had limited effects on meat quality. No interactions between n-3 PUFAs and HS were observed for any measurements. High antioxidant supplementation increased breast yield, improved meat quality, and reduced oxidative stress, as evidenced by an enhanced antioxidant activity and lower MDA levels. In conclusion, n-3 PUFAs had a negative effect on both the carcass characteristics and meat quality of broilers, while HS primarily affected only carcass characteristics, with neither stressor having severe adverse effects. High levels of antioxidants could mitigate the negative effects of dietary- and heat-induced oxidative stress by enhancing the oxidative stability of broiler meat.

• Language: English
• Keywords: broilers, n-3 PUFAs, cyclic heat stress, antioxidants, oxidative stress, meat quality, meat oxidative stability
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 21 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 14, iss. 22, art. 3314
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-165373
• UDC: 636.5.084/.087
• ISSN on article: 2076-2615
• DOI: 10.3390/ani14223314
• COBISS.SI-ID: 215669251
• Publication date in RUL: 04.12.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Animals
• Shortened title: Animals
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2076-2615
• COBISS.SI-ID: 519120409

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: perutnina, pitovni piščanci, prehrana živali, kakovost mesa, antioksidanti

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P4-0097
• Name: Prehrana in mikrobna ekologija prebavil

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P4-0053
• Name: Endokrini, imunski in encimski odzivi pri zdravih in bolnih živalih