Effects of artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) extract on antioxidant status in chicken thigh meat

Artichoke extract (AE), containing natural antioxidant compounds, can be considered as a good source of antioxidant potential.
The aim of this study was to evaluate antioxidant abilities of AE on broiler meat quality.
200 Ross chicken broilers were divided into five equal groups and received 100, 200, 300, and 500 mg/liter of AE in drinking water and pure water in the control group, respectively. Antiradical activity and phenolic content of AE were determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method and gallic acid measurement before adding extract into drinking water. The broilers received AE extract form 21-35 day of growing phase and the samples from thigh muscles were taken for biochemical analysis in the 42 day of the growing phase.
Antiradical activity of AE was 35% and phenolic content was 3.3 g/100g of dry extract. Regarding antioxidant enzymes, such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT), the AE with dosage of 200 mg/l indicated maximum antioxidant ability compared to the other groups (p This study showed that administration of 200 mg/l AE in drinking water during growing phase decreased GPx and CAT activities in chicken meat presumably due to down-regulation of gene expression for antioxidant enzymes.