Oxidative stability of chilled chicken meat after feeding of selected plants

Abstract

The effect of feeding of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis, L) and combination of yarrow (Achillea millefolium L) and hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha L) on oxidative stability and sensory properties of produced poultry meat was investigated. Sixty one-day-old commercial broiler chicks (ROSS 308) were used in our experiment, divided into 3 groups, and fed 41 days, as follows: control (K) was fed with standard diet without supplementation of plants; second group (M) was fed with standard diet supplemented with grounded lemon balm in concentration 2 % per 1 kg; and third group was fed with standard diet supplemented with grounded yarrow (2 %) and hawthorn (1 %). Results showed that supplementation with lemon balm, and mainly combination of yarrow and hawthorn in the diet significantly caused reduction of lipid oxidation processes in thigh meat during chilling storage of samples. In addition, supplementation of plants in the diet had positive effect on sensory quality of meat of broiler chickens.