Omega-3 profiles and chemical substances of chicken meat fed diets containing purslane (Portulaca oleraceae) meal rich in omega-3 fats

Abstract

Purslane (Portulaca oleraceae) is a plant rich in omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids which can be added to the diets of chicken to produce meat high in n-3 fatty acids. This research aimed to analyse the impact of the purslane meal addition into a basal diet on the quality and n-3 fatty acids of broiler meat. A total of 150 broilers were assigned randomly to five treatments with six replications. Each replication consisted of five broilers. The treatments were a basal diet supplemented with purslane meal at levels of 0% (Br-E0), 1.5% (Br-E1), 3% (Br-E2), 4.5% (Br-E3), and 6% (Br-E4). Meat samples were taken on day 42 for quality and n-3 fatty acid analysis. Results showed that the addition of purslane meal to the basal diets did not affect (P>0.05) the protein and moisture content of the meat but significantly reduced (P<0.05) the fat content. Increasing the levels of purslane meal rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in the diets increased the ALA, DHA, total n-3 PUFA, total n-6 PUFA, and total PUFA (P<0.05) in the broiler meat. The DHA level of the meat from chickens fed with 6% purslane meal increased by double compared to those fed with control diet. In conclusion, chickens fed ALA enriched diets up to a level of 6% produced meat higher in n-3 fats without negatively affecting the chemical composition of the meat.