Effects of Supplementation of Microalgae (Aurantiochytrium sp.) to Laying Hen Diets on Fatty Acid Content, Health Lipid Indices, Oxidative Stability, and Quality Attributes of Meat.

Bing Liu,Youling L Xiong,Jiang Jiang,Gang Lin,Dongyou Yu

doi:10.3390/foods9091271

Abstract

The present study is conducted to investigate the effects of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich microalgae (MA, Aurantiochytrium sp.) on health lipid indices, stability, and quality properties of meat from laying hens. A total of 450 healthy 50-wk-old Hy-Line Brown layers were randomly allotted to 5 groups (6 replicates of 15 birds each), which received diets supplemented with 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% MA for 15 weeks. Fatty acid contents and quality properties of breast and thigh muscles from two randomly selected birds per replicate (n = 12) were measured. The oxidative stability of fresh, refrigerated, frozen, and cooked meat was also determined. Results indicated that supplemental MA produced dose-dependent enrichments of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA), predominantly DHA, in breast and thigh muscles, with more health-promoting n-6/n-3 ratios (1.87–5.27) and favorable lipid health indices (p < 0.05). MA supplementation did not affect tenderness (shear force) and color (L*, a*, and b* values) of hen meat nor muscle endogenous antioxidant enzymes and fresh meat oxidation (p > 0.05). However, the n-3 LC-PUFA deposition slightly increased lipid oxidation in cooked and stored (4 °C) meat (p < 0.05). In conclusion, MA supplementation improves the nutritional quality of hen meat in terms of lipid profile without compromising meat quality attributes. Appropriate antioxidants are required to mitigate oxidation when such DHA-enriched meat is subjected to cooking and storage.

Highlights

The increased public consciousness of the health benefits of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA), especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), has elevated consumer preference for the products fortified with these desirable nutrients [1,2]
Microalgae (Aurantiochytrium sp., Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY, USA) powder was analyzed for moisture, crude protein, ether extract, and total ash content based on the procedure of the Association of Official Analytical Chemistry (AOAC) [9]
Our results indicate that the meat from hens fed MA of 1.0% or more complies with the recommendations, while those fed basal or diets containing less than 1.0% MA in the current study do not

Summary

Introduction

The increased public consciousness of the health benefits of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA), especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), has elevated consumer preference for the products fortified with these desirable nutrients [1,2]. Microalgae (MA), the primary producers of DHA, have been proven to be one of the most promising ingredients for DHA-enriched egg production due to their higher enrichment efficiency, production sustainability, and better sensory qualities than the commonly-used fish oil [4]. The use of DHA-enriched meat from hens after DHA-egg production could increase the value and desirability of hen meat or its processed products, given that consumers are already willing to pay more for n-3 LC-PUFA-enriched products [2]. Various methods of processing DHA-enriched hen meat (e.g., sausages) have been suggested to improve consumer acceptability

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion