Abstract
This study examined the effect of different levels of dietary organic and inorganic chromium (Cr) on meat quality of broiler chicks reared under heat stress condition. Four hundred and twenty Ross male chickens in heat stress condition (33±3°C) were allocated to seven treatments in a completely randomized design. Treatments were supplemented with 0 (control), 500, 1000 or 1500 µg kg −1 Cr in the form of Cr nicotinate and Cr chloride. Twelve chicks from each treatment were slaughtered at 42 d, to evaluate moisture, protein, lipid, pH and lipid oxidation of thigh and breast meat. Moisture, lipid and pH of meat were not affected by supplemental Cr. Breast meat protein was significantly (p<0.05) increased by the Cr supplementation especially organic Cr. Storage time increased lipid oxidation of meat (p<0.01). Lipid oxidation of breast and thigh muscle for two days of storage were affected by supplemental Cr and decreased (p<0.05). Results of the present study showed that supplementation of diet with Cr can improve the meat quality of broiler chicks in heat stress condition.
Highlights
Heat stress has long been recognized as having a detrimental effect on broiler production efficiency and meat yield[1,2]
Dietary Cr supplementation has been reported to have a positive effect on meat quality [12,13] and carcass traits of broiler chicks in natural[14,15] or heat stress condition[16]
Animals and diets: From July 11 to Aug 20th, four hundred and twenty one-day-old commercial Ross male chicks were reared under heat stress condition
Summary
Heat stress has long been recognized as having a detrimental effect on broiler production efficiency and meat yield[1,2]. Trivalent Cr is an essential element in the animal body [6] and is involved in carbohydrate, lipid, protein and nucleic acid metabolic functions [7]. Dietary Cr supplementation has been reported to have a positive effect on meat quality [12,13] and carcass traits of broiler chicks in natural[14,15] or heat stress condition[16]. Studies designed to compare the effectiveness of organic and inorganic sources of Cr on meat quality of broiler chicks are few. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two sources of Cr, Cr nicotinate and Cr Chloride, on the meat quality of broiler chicks in heat stress condition
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