Acta Vet. Brno 2015, 84: 373-382
Influence of dietary replacement of sunflower oil with milk thistle (Silybum marianum) oil on chicken meat quality and antioxidant status of liver
The research focused on the effects of dietary replacement of 3% sunflower oil (SO group) with 3% milk thistle oil (MTO group) on the technological quality of meat, such as pH value, colour (CIE L*, CIE a*, CIE b*), drip loss (%), shear force (N), and cooking loss (%), as well as on the content of fatty acid lipids in broiler breast and thigh muscles. Significant difference (P < 0.05) was determined for pHi, pHu, CIE a*, CIE b* values between groups, although the values for the stated indicators were within the standard range. Lipids of breast meat of the MTO group contained more arachidic acid (P < 0.001), octadecenoic acid isomer B (P = 0.047) and eicosatrienoic acid (P = 0.041), and less α-linolenic acid (P < 0.001) and Σn-3PUFA. Lipids of thigh meat of the MTO group contained more ΣSFA, myristoleic acid, eicosatrienoic acid (P < 0.05) and eicosenoic acid (P < 0.001), and less α-linolenic acid, and had narrower Σn-3/n-6 PUFA ratio than the SO group. According to the antioxidant status of broiler liver, there was significantly higher catalase activity determined in the MTO group.
Funding
The research was carried out within the project “Pig and Poultry Growth Characteristics and Quality of Products” (No. 079-0790566-0567), funded by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia.