Effects of Dietary Fatty Acids from Different Sources on Growth Performance, Meat Quality, Muscle Fatty Acid Deposition, and Antioxidant Capacity in Broilers

Abstract

Simple Summary:The findings in the current study reveal that dietary fish oil or a combination of linseed oil and microalgae could be effective in improving growth performance, carcass traits, muscle fatty acid deposition, and antioxidant capacity in broilers compared with traditional soybean oil in broilers.Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of dietary fatty acids from various sources on growth performance, meat quality, muscle fatty acid deposition and antioxidant capacity in broilers. 126 Arbor Acres broilers (1 d-old, initial body weight of 45.5 ± 0.72 g) were randomly assigned to three treatments with seven cages per treatment and six broilers per cage. The dietary treatments included:(1) corn-soybean meal basal diet containing 3% soybean oil (control diet, CTL); (2) basal diet + 1% microalgae + 1% linseed oil + 1% soybean oil (ML); (3) basal diet + 2% fish oil + 1% soybean oil (FS). The trial consisted of phase 1 (day 1 to 21) and 2 (day 22 to 42). Compared with CTL, broilers fed ML or FS diet showed improved (p < 0.05) average daily gain in phase 1, 2, and overall (day 1 to 42), as well as a decreased (p < 0.05) feed conversion ratio in phase 1 and overall. On day 42, broilers supplemented with FS diet showed increased (p ≤ 0.05) the relative weights of pancreas and liver, as well as higher (p < 0.05) redness value in breast and thigh muscle compared with CTL. Broilers offered ML or FS diet had lower (p < 0.05) the relative weight of abdominal fat and total serum cholesterol content in phase 1, and increased (p < 0.05) contents of serum glucose, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), eicosacagetaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and total antioxidant capacity, as well as lower (p < 0.05) concentrations of malondialdehyde, n-6 PUFA, and n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in breast and thigh muscle compared with CTL. This research indicates that diets supplemented with fish oil or a combination of microalgae and linseed oil experience improved performance, antioxidant capacities and n-3 PUFA profile in muscle of broilers compared with traditional soybean oil supplemented diets Animals 2020, 10, 508 2 of 13 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n-3), eicosacagetaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n-3), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3n-3)-as well as an increased ratio of PUFA to saturated fatty acid ratio (PUFA/SFA ratio) and n-3/n-6 PUFA ratio-are necessary and beneficial for broilers and human health [1]. However, the intake of n-3 PUFA in the average human diet is low and the conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA in the human body is also low [2]. Therefore, scientists have recently shown more interest in producing poultry meat products enriched with n-3 PUFA for human consumption [3].The fatty acid composition in the breast and thigh muscles of animals is highly related to the fatty acids in the diet fed to animals [4], so providing animals with diets enriched in n-3 PUFA can be the most practical way to manipulate the n-3 PUFA profiles of meat [5]. Previous studies have sh...

Forsythia suspensa extract enhances performance via the improvement of nutrient digestibility, antioxidant status, anti-inflammatory function, and gut morphology in broilers

“…The PUFA are the most sensitive fractions to oxidation processes and lipid oxidation in meat ( Hashemipour et al., 2013 ); this finding might be due to the protective effect of FSE as a dietary natural antioxidant on acting as electron donors to provide electrons for reduction of some unsaturated fatty acids ( Chikunya et al., 2004 ) and improving the meat quality by increasing the n-3 PUFA (ALA or EPA) levels ( Ahmed et al., 2016 ). As noted in a previous study conducted in our laboratory, C18:3n3 and C20:5n3 as n-3 PUFA in chicken meat may be beneficial for human health ( Long et al., 2018b , Long et al., 2020 ), and lower n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio also had health benefit effects for humans, mainly in protection against cardiovascular diseases ( Chikunya et al., 2004 ). However, the mechanisms by which FSE regulates fatty acid composition of the breast meat and thigh meat in broilers are still not fully understood, and therefore, further studies are still warranted to identify these positive functions ( Pan et al., 2019 ).…”

Effects of in ovo feeding and dietary addition oils on growth performance and immune function of broiler chickens

“…The different effects of dietary oil (rich in PUFA) on poultry performance vary from the dose, type, and composition. Long et al (2020) showed that compared with the diet supplemented with soybean oil, the diets supplemented with microalgae, linseed oil, and fish oil significantly increased the ADG and reduced the FCR of broilers from d 1 to 21. Chen et al (2014) showed that dietary supplemented with 15% linseed oil significantly improved the FCR and laying rate of geese, also indicating that an appropriate portion of n-3 PUFA can improve the performance of laying geese.…”

Parental dietary arachidonic acid altered serum fatty acid profile, hepatic antioxidant capacity, and lipid metabolism in domestic pigeons (Columba livia)

“…Previous studies have been indicated that the fatty acid composition of poultry tissues was generally a reflection of dietary fatty acids profile (Kurniawan et al, 2015; Long et al, 2020). In the current study, increasing parental dietary arachidonic acid supplementation resulted in a concomitant increase in serum arachidonic acid proportion.…”