Omega-3 Enrichment of Broiler Meat by Using Two Oil Seeds

A 42-d study was conducted to evaluate the influence of full-fat flaxseed (FS) and canola seed (CS) on broiler performance, fatty acid (FA) profile of meat, and the oxidative stability of meat during frozen storage. A total of 324 one-day old broiler chicks were randomly attributed to 6 experimental groups and fed iso-energetic and isonitrogenous diets as follows, C: control (soybean-corn); CS1: 7.5% CS; CS2: 15% CS; CS-FS: 10% FS+10% CS; FS1: 7.5% FS; FS2: 15% FS. Negative effect on performance parameters were found by diets containing FS and CS i.e. feeding oil seeds resulted in significantly (P< 0.01) lower body weight gain and higher feed conversion ratio, compared to the control. However, no significant differences of feed consumption were shown (P> 0.05) among treatments. Inclusion of FS and CS significantly increased (P< 0.01) the concentration of omega-3 fatty acid (α-Linolenic acid= ALA) and decreased the content of the arachidonic acid (AA). Total omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio was significantly lower for all FS and CS fed groups compared with the control (P< 0.01). Inclusion of FS and CS decreased the oxidative stability of raw meat (breast and thigh) during frozen storage period based on thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values (P< 0.01). In conclusion, by adding vegetable sources of omega-3 to the broiler chicken diets, the omega-3 fatty acid content of broiler meat can be increased, which may have beneficial effects on human health.