Effect of Dietary Supplementing Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) on Meat Traits of the Broiler Chicks

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the dietary using of cumin as feed supplement on meat quality traits of the broiler chicken. Eight-day old broiler divided into 4 groups, 3 replicates (8 chicks/replicate) each for 45 days. Treatments included; (T1), basal diet without cumin or control, (T2), basal diet with 3 g. cumin. kg-1 of diet, (T3), basal diet with 6 g. cumin. kg-1 of diet, (T4), basal diet with 9 g. cumin. kg-1 of diet. At the end of this experiment after slaughtering all the chicks, samples were taken from breast and thigh meat. Results revealed that cumin supplementation did not significantly (p<0.01) affect moisture percentages of breast meat and protein percentages of thigh meat. Results also showed that use basal diet with 3 and 6 g.cumin. kg-1 of diet significantly (p<0.01) impact on meat water holding capacity and cooking loss percentages, while different cumin level impact on fat, ash percentages, pH value, TBA, TVB.N values, metmyoglobin, myoglobin value, copper, nickel, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium concentrations of thigh meat, as well as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and calcium concentrations of breast meat. Results conclude that using cumin as feed supplement in 3, 6 and 9 g.kg-1 level, improve most chemical and physical traits of meat.