Research Note: Effects of supplementing cranberry and blueberry pomaces on meat quality and antioxidative capacity in broilers
Citation
Xu, Q., Si, W., Mba, O.I., Sienkiewicz, O., Ngadi, M., Ross, K., Kithama, M., Kiarie, E.G., Kennes, Y.M., Diarra, M.S., Zhao, X. (2021). Research Note: Effects of supplementing cranberry and blueberry pomaces on meat quality and antioxidative capacity in broilers. Poultry Science, [online] 100(3), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2020.11.069
Plain language summary
Cranberry and blueberry pomaces, rich in antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds, have been identified as potential antibiotic alternatives in animal feed. However, their antioxidant capacity for maintaining or improving the meat quality in chicken broilers is not well documented. This work examined whether cranberry and wild blueberry pomaces included in the diet of broilers could positively influence the meat quality. Broilers fed a standard diet supplemented with either cranberry pomace or blueberry pomace produced meat that did not differ in lightness or yellowness compared to meat obtained from broilers fed the standard diet without berry pomace supplementation. Meat from broilers fed a diet with blueberry pomace supplementation did exhibit a redder color than meat from broilers fed the diet with cranberry pomace supplementation. The inclusion of the berry pomace in the feed did not affect the meat texture or composition in terms of moisture, protein, fat and ash content and there app. Further supplementation of the broiler diet with cranberry pomace at a concentration of 0.5% resulted in an upward trend of antioxidant capacity and less severity of the meat quality defect woody breast. Therefore, supplementation of broiler feed with cranberry pomace at a concentration of 0.5% could potentially maintain meat quality and reduce the severity of woody breast which is of importance to the sector.
Abstract
Cranberry and blueberry pomaces are rich in antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds. They have been identified as potential antibiotic alternatives in animal feed, but their antioxidative capacity for maintaining or improving the meat quality in broilers is not well documented. This study was to determine whether cranberry and wild blueberry pomaces in diets could positively influence the broiler meat quality. A total of 3,150 broilers were randomly allotted to 10 dietary treatments with bacitracin methylene disalicylate, wild cranberry pomace (CRP) (0.5 and 1% of the basal diet), and wild blueberry pomace (BLP) (0.5 and 1% of the basal diet) alone or in combination with a mixture of feed enzymes. The results showed that supplementation with the CRP or BLP did not affect meat lightness and yellowness, while the deeper red meat (higher a∗ values) was observed in the birds receiving the diet containing 0.5% BLP against those in CRP treatments (P = 0.015). In addition, inclusion of CRP or BLP in the diet did not change meat texture and proximate composition (moisture, protein, fat, ash) irrespective of pomace concentrations. Although there were no obvious effects of CRP or BLP supplementation on meat antioxidant capacity and the incidence of myopathies (P > 0.05), the upward trend of antioxidant capacity and less severity of woody breast were observed in birds fed with 0.5% CRP. Furthermore, supplementation of 0.5 or 1.0% CRP without the enzyme resulted in higher mRNA levers of Nrf, Gpx2, and HO-1 (P < 0.05). Taken together, 0.5% CRP supplementation without the enzyme could potentially maintain meat quality and attenuate the severity of woody breast.