title: β-Alanine as a factor influencing the content of bioactive dipeptides in muscles of Hubbard Flex chickens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to determine the effect of various doses of β-alanine administered in feed mixtures and of heat treatment on changes in the contents of dipeptides anserine and carnosine in meat of fast-growing Hubbard Flex chickens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study demonstrated a significant effect of dietary administration of β-alanine on anserine content in breast muscles and on carnosine content in leg muscles of the chickens. A successive increase in dipeptide content was observed with increasing β-alanine content in the feed mixture. As a result of heat treatment, a significant (P ≤ 0.01) increase was observed in the anserine content of both breast and leg muscles: over twofold higher anserine content was detected in heat-treated muscles compared with raw muscles. The study showed that interesting effects might occur during β-alanine administration to feed mixtures for chickens, especially including increased contents of anserine and carnosine in skeletal muscles of the birds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taking into account the well-documented health-promoting effect of histidine dipeptides and possibilities of increasing their contents in the body by supplementation with β-alanine, anserine and carnosine might be considered as potential components of functional foods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Poultry Breeding, Faculty of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Łukasiewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Cattle Breeding, Faculty of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Kamila
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Puppel
authors.affiliation: Department of Cattle Breeding, Faculty of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kuczyńska
authors.affiliation: Department of Ichthyobiology and Fisheries, Faculty of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamaszewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Poultry Breeding, Faculty of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niemiec
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D000861:Anserine / Q000378:metabolism; D002336:Carnosine / Q000378:metabolism; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D015091:beta-Alanine / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D004151:Dipeptides; D015091:beta-Alanine; D002336:Carnosine; D000861:Anserine
keywords: anserine; carnosine; heat treatment; muscle; poultry; β-alanine