title: Performance, carcass, gastrointestinal tract and meat quality traits, and selected blood parameters of broilers fed diets supplemented with humic substances.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effects of humic substances (HS) on quality traits (colour, water-holding capacity, and pH) of breast and thigh meats and on blood minerals (calcium and phosphorus) and on metabolites (glucose, total protein, triglyceride and cholesterols) as well as on the performance, carcass, and gastrointestinal tract (gut) traits of broilers were studied. In total, 480 male chicks (ROSS 308) were allocated to four treatments, each with five replicates containing 24 birds. While control birds were fed a diet (mash form) with no additives (0 HS), other treatment birds were fed with diets containing HS at 0.5 (0.5 HS), 1.0 (1 HS) or 1.5 (1.5 HS) g kg(-1) from 1 to 42 days of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The body and carcass weights and feed efficiency increased (P < 0.05) by 1.5 HS, and blood cholesterol decreased (P < 0.05) by 1 HS and 1.5 HS compared to 0 HS. The 0.5 HS decreased (P < 0.10) low-density lipoprotein compared to 0 HS. The 0.5 HS resulted in thigh meat and breast meat that were lighter and darker than those found in the other groups and 1.5 HS respectively (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Feeding with a diet containing HS caused a measurable variation in the meat quality and blood cholesterol as well as the performance, carcass, and gut traits of broilers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ondokuz Mayis University, TR55139 Samsun, Turkey. eozturk@omu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ergin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Nuh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ocak
authors.forename: Alev
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.forename: Guray
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Erener
authors.forename: Aydin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altop
authors.forename: Soner
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cankaya
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D002645:Chickens / Q000097:blood / Q000254:growth & development; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003116:Color; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D005524:Food Technology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract; D006801:Humans; D006812:Humic Substances; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000097:blood; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D006812:Humic Substances; D014867:Water; D010758:Phosphorus; D002784:Cholesterol; D002118:Calcium