Wheat germ oil enrichment in broiler feed with α-lipoic acid to enhance the antioxidant potential and lipid stability of meat.
BACKGROUND
Lipid peroxidation is the cause of declining the meat quality. Natural antioxidants plays a vital role in enhancing the stability and quality of meat. The supplementation of natural antioxidants in feed decreases lipid peroxidation and improves the stability of meat.


METHODS
The present research was conducted to determine the effect of α-lipoic acid, α-tocopherol and wheat germ oil on the status of antioxidants, quality and lipid stability of broiler meat. One day old male broilers were fed with different feeds containing antioxidants i.e. natural (wheat germ oil) and synthetic α-tocopherol and α-lipoic acid during the two experimental years.


RESULTS
The feed treatments have significant variation on the body weight and feed conversion ratio (FCR) while having no influence on the feed intake. The broilers fed on wheat germ oil (natural α-tocopherol) gained maximum body weight (2451.97 g & 2466.07 g) in the experimental years 2010-11 & 2011-12, respectively. The higher total phenolic contents were found in the broilers fed on wheat germ oil plus α-lipoic acid in breast (162.73±4.8 mg Gallic acid equivalent/100 g & 162.18±4.5 mg Gallic acid equivalent/100 g) and leg (149.67±3.3 mg Gallic acid equivalent/100 g & 146.07±3.2 mg Gallic acid equivalent/100 g) meat during both experimental years. Similar trend was observed for the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP). The production of malondialdehydes in the breast and leg meat increased with progressive increase in the time period. The deposition of α-tocopherol (AT) and α-lipoic acid (ALA) contents were found to be higher in the broilers fed on wheat germ oil plus α-lipoic acid in breast and leg meat during the both experimental years.


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, the combination of wheat germ oil and α-lipoic acid has more beneficial for stability and the quality of the broiler meat and more work should be needed in future for the bio-evaluation of this kind of functional meat in humans.
National Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. sajid_ft@yahoo.com.
Muhammad Sajid
MS
Arshad
Faqir Muhammad
FM
Anjum
Muhammad Issa
MI
Khan
Muhammad
M
Shahid
Saeed
S
Akhtar
Muhammad
M
Sohaib
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004435:Eating; D005519:Food Preservation; D005707:Gallic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008460:Meat; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010851:Picrates / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008063:Thioctic Acid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D010851:Picrates; D010938:Plant Oils; C050055:wheat germ oil; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005707:Gallic Acid; D008063:Thioctic Acid; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol