Effect of adminstaration of Satureja khuzistanica essential oils into drinking water on chemical composition, fatty acid profile and cholestrol of breast and thigh meat in broiler chicken

This investigation was carried out to characterize the effect of Satureja khuzistanica (SkEO), on cholesterol content and fatty acids composition of breast and thigh meat in broiler chicken. A total of 720 one-day-old Cobb 500, broiler chicks were used to study the effect of six experimental treatments in 6 replicate of 20 birds each, in a 42 days trial. Treatments included continual adminstration of 0 (control-), 200, 300, 400 and 500 mg/ L SkEO or 500 mg/ L Tween-80 (at 1:1 ratio v/v; control+) into drinking water. The fatty acid composition and cholestrol content of breast and thigh muscles were assessed on 12 samples per treatment. The fatty acid composition of the breast meat was significanlty differed from that of thigh meat (P>0.05). Supplementation of broielr water with SkEO did not affect fatty acid composition of breast and thigh meat (P>0.05). The cholestrol content in thigh meat was significanlty greater by approxmatly two folds than breast meat (P<0.05) and in either was affected by SkEO treatemnt (P<0.10). It was concluded that, SkEO ehxibit cholesterol-reducing effect in breast and thigh meat in broiler chickens. No indication, However, was found to verify fatty acid-modulating effect for SkEO in broiler meat.