The aim of the research was to investigate the influence of herbal supplementation of feed mixtures for broiler chickens on the fatty acid profile of their intramuscular and abdominal fat. The research was carried out on 210 ROSS broiler chickens, which were divided into 6 experimental groups and fed with starter, grower, and finisher feeds with 2-percent additions of a specific herb (pansy, hop, linden leaf, lemon balm, mint, or nettle). A control group was fed with feeds supplemented with flavomycin. The feed mixtures and water were given ad libitum. On the 42nd day of rearing, out of each group of chickens 4 cocks and 4 hens closest to the average body weight in their group were selected. The selected animals were slaughtered and subjected to a simplified directional analysis. The content of fatty acids in intramuscular and abdominal fat was determined with a Varian CP 3800 gas chromatograph. The research findings suggest that the 2-percent addition of herbs had a significant effect on the fatty acid profile. In intramuscular fat the content of saturated fatty acids, including especially palmitic acid, rose significantly in all experimental groups. On the other hand, herbs were found to have no effect on the content of monounsaturated fatty acids. The influence of the herbs under examination on the content of poliunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was diverse. The content of these acids in intramuscular fat increased in the case of chickens fed with linden-supplemented mixture and decreased in chickens fed with feeds supplemented with mint and nettle. Abdominal fat was characterised by a lower content of saturated fatty acids, which is desirable from the dietary point of view. The amount of monounsaturated fatty acids increased in all experimental groups. The addition of hop had the greatest stimulating effect on the content of these acids. The content of poliunsaturated fatty acids, including linoleic and alpha-linoleic acids, was considerably smaller in the group fed with the hop supplement. In the other experimental groups the level of these acids was comparable or higher than in the control group.
JavaScript jest wyłączony w Twojej przeglądarce internetowej. Włącz go, a następnie odśwież stronę, aby móc w pełni z niej korzystać.