TY  - JOUR
T1  - Effect of Natural Vitamin E Level and Duration of Supplementation on Growth 
  Performance, Breast Meat Quality and Oxidative Stability of Broilers
AU - Yao, Jun-Hu AU - Wu, Xiao-Hong AU - Liu, Ye AU - Zhang, Lin AU - Li, Fei AU - Wang, Fei AU - Cao, Li AU - Yang, Xiao-Jun 
JO  - Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances
VL  - 11
IS  - 18
SP  - 3268
EP  - 3275
PY  - 2012
DA  - 2001/08/19
SN  - 1680-5593
DO  - javaa.2012.3268.3275
UR  - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=javaa.2012.3268.3275
KW  - Natural Vitamin E
KW  -meat quality
KW  -oxidation stability
KW  -broiler
KW  -glutathione peroxidase
AB  - This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of natural Vitamin E (Nat E Ac) level and duration of supplementation on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality and &#945;-tocopherol content as well as oxidation stability of plasma and breast meat (refrigerated at 4&deg;C) of broilers. Cobb broilers (n = 315, 21 days old, female) were randomly assigned to 7 treatments (1 control and 6 experiment groups) with 5 replicates and 9 broilers per replicate. Control group was fed with basal diet (Nat E Ac:30 IU kg<SUP>-1</SUP>). For the experimental groups, a 2x3 factorial design was used with 2 Nat E Ac levels (Nat E Ac:60 and 120 mg kg<SUP>-1</SUP>) and 3 durations (7, 14 and 21 days prior to slaughter at 42 day). The broilers were in the finisher phase (22-42 days) during the treatment. Results showed that broilers fed with higher Nat E Ac levels or fed for a longer duration had significantly (p&lt;0.05) increased percentage of breast and thigh meat, pH<SUB>24h</SUB> in breast, glutathione peroxidase in liver and &#945;-tocopherol in plasma, liver and breast meat. Moreover, the broilers also exhibited notably (p&lt;0.05) decreased drip loss and pH in breast meat as well as decreasing content of Malondialdehyde (MDA) in the plasma and breast meat refrigerated at 4&deg;C for 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 days. There was a significant (p&lt;0.05) interaction between Nat E Ac level and feeding duration that affected the level of MDA in breast meat refrigerated at 4&deg;C for 0, 2, 6 and 8 days. Nat E Ac level, feeding duration and the interaction of these two factors did not markedly (p&gt;0.05) influence growth performance, breast meat color, percentage of eviscerated carcass and abdominal fat, total superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities and antioxidation capacity in plasma. Higher Nat E Ac level or prolonged duration of feeding increased the percentages of breast and thigh meat, enhanced the water-holding capacity, the pH<SUB>24h</SUB> as well as &#945;-tocopherol retention of breast meat and oxidative stability during refrigerated storage of breast meat thus enhancing the oxidative stability during refrigerated storage and improving breast meat quality.
ER  -