Dietary Flaxseed Meal and Chromium: a Nutritional Intervention in Broiler Chicken to Study the Prospective Growth Performance, Tissue Lipid Composition and Metabolism, Health Indices, and Serum Lipid Chemistry

Abstract

Background:Flaxseed in a richest terrestrial source of w-3 fatty acid – alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which can be incorporated in chicken meat when it is included in chicken ration. ALA can further be acted up on by desaturating enzymes to generate PUFA such as EPA and DHA which increase the health value of chicken meat. However, dietary flaxseed results in concurrent increase in lipid oxidation due higher unsaturation and negative impact on chicken growth performance. These negative effects of flaxseed feeding can be reversed by chromium supplementation in broiler chicken. Thus, this study investigated growth performance and efficiency, lipid composition, lipid metabolism, health indices, and serum lipid chemistry of broiler chicken fed flaxseed meal (FSM) and chromium (Cr).Results:Feeding of 100 g FSM exerted negative effects on the growth performance during starter phase only (0-3 weeks) and overall growth efficiency parameters in broiler chicken, whereas, Cr supplementation reversed these negative effects.100 g FSM reduced abdominal fat in chicken and Cr supplementation linearly decreased it with minimum at 1.5 mg Cr/kg diet.Feeding of 100 g FSM favourably improved the activities of lipid metabolism enzymes which resulted in improved fatty acid profile and health indices of chicken meat.No significant effect of Cr supplementation was observed on lipid metabolism, fatty acid profile, and health indices of chicken meat.100 g FSM decreased serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, cardiac risk ratio, atherogenic coefficient, and atherogenic index of plasma, whereas, Cr supplementation decreased these parameters linearly with increasing levels. Antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation were increased by FSM, whereas, Cr supplementation linearly decreased them with increasing levels; and inverse trend was observed in serum HDL cholesterol levels.Conclusions: Feeding of 100 g FSM exert negative effects on growth performance of young chicken (0-3 weeks), favourably alter lipid metabolism which results in improved fatty acid profile and health indices of chicken meat. It improves the serum lipid profile and atherogenic indices in broiler chicken, but negatively affects the oxidative stability of lipids. However, Cr supplementation at the rate of 1.5 mg/kg diet successfully overcomes these negative effects of FSM feeding on growth performance and lipid oxidative stability.