Abstract
Abstract. The fatty acid profile and the related indices of the nutritional quality of breast and thigh muscles were studied in two lines of chickens – La Belle (LB) and White Plymouth Rock (WPR) – slaughtered at the age of 9 and 18 weeks. The fatty acid profile was more affected by the age than the line of the birds; however, the influence of both differed between the breast and thigh. The content of total saturated fatty acids (SFAs) increased in the thigh (P < 0.01), while that of the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) decreased with age in both muscles (P < 0.001). This corresponded to the significant decrease in C18:1 in the older chickens and the lower desaturase activity (P < 0.001). The contents of C20:4n-6, C22:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 and the total amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in breast were higher (P < 0.001) at the age of 18 weeks. A similar pattern in the individual and total PUFA was observed in the thighs. The effect of line was more visible in the breast, leading to a lower C14:0 content and C20:5n-3 and a higher C18:0 content in the WPR chickens (P < 0.001), corresponding to the higher elongase and thioesterase indices in these birds. Both atherogenic (AI) and thrombogenic (TI) indices were lowered, while the ratio of hypocholesterolemic ∕ hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (h ∕ H) and polyunsaturated ∕ saturated fatty acids (P ∕ S) increased in the breast of the birds at 18 weeks. In breast and thigh meat, the ratio of n-6 ∕ n-3 PUFA decreased in the older chickens (P < 0.001).
Highlights
The interest in slow-growing chickens has been increasing recently due to consumers’ demands for healthier food (Fanatico et al, 2007)
Mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids represented the major classes of the fatty acids in the three diets
The lower concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in the chickens at 18 weeks of age, mainly at the expense of the decreased proportion of C18:1 could be explained with the lower total lipids in these birds, which we reported in another paper (Popova et al, 2016)
Summary
The interest in slow-growing chickens has been increasing recently due to consumers’ demands for healthier food (Fanatico et al, 2007). As stated by Dal Bosco et al (2011), some slow-growing poultry products have a long history in Europe as for example the French Label Rouge program, which requires outdoor access and a growing period of at least 81 days for the birds It occupies a significant part of the French poultry market despite selling products for a higher price compared to the conventional poultry products (Westgren, 1999; Fanatico and Born, 2001). With the increasing importance of slowgrowing chicken production, possibilities appear for these lines to be used to create crosses with slower growth, no deposition of abdominal fat and a high quality of meat (Petkov et al, 2013; Petkov, 2015). It is well known that the higher intake of saturated fatty acid (SFA) in the human diet increases the risk of the development of coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis and can-
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