Effect of fructo-oligosaccharides on growth performance and meat quality in broilers.

Abstract

This study investigated the fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) on growth performance and meat quality in broilers. Total 160 Xianghuang broilers aged 2&#x202f;months were randomly assigned into 2 groups, CON (control), FOS (supplemented 0.5% fructo-oligosaccharides in diet). After 38&#x202f;days, the breast, thigh muscle and liver samples were collected for further analysis. Results showed that no significant effect of 0.5% FOS on growth performance such as average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) or feed-to-gain ratio (F:G) were observed (> 0.05). Broilers in FOS group had a yellower breast than that in CON group (&#x202f;<&#x202f;0.05). Breast pHand thigh pHvalue of FOS group were greater than that in CON group (&#x202f;<&#x202f;0.05). Max shear force and work of shear of cooked breast () muscle was lower in FOS group compared with CON group (<&#x202f;0.05). Hardness (&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.065), fracturability (&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.063), gumminess (&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.079), chewiness (&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.080) of cooked thigh meat tended to be higher in FOS group compared to the CON group. Addition of 0.5% FOS resulted in lower thigh total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity compared to CON group (&#x202f;<&#x202f;0.05). The malonaldehyde (MDA) concentration (&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.066) of breast muscle tended to be lower in FOS group compared with CON group. There was an increasing trend for total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) activity of thigh muscle in FOS group compared to CON group (&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.053). Relative mRNA expression of breast catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), thioredoxin reductase 1 (TXNRD) were up-regulated by FOS supplementation compared with CON group (<&#x202f;0.05). In conclusion, FOS can be utilized at 0.5 % to improve meat quality such as elevating pH value, yellowness and decreasing max shear force of muscle through enhancing the antioxidant activity in broilers.