Effect of aqueous pennyroyal (MenthaPulegium) and saffron petals (Crocus sativus L.) extract on performance and meat quality in broiler

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of aqueous pennyroyal (Mentha plegium) and saffron petals extract on performance and meat quality in broiler. 330 birds were used in five treatments; Control (C), 0.1% saffron petals (S1), 0.2% saffron petals (S2), 0.1% pennyroyal (P1) and 0.2% pennyroyal (P2) extracts. Body weight gain and feed intake were measured. At the end of the experiment, four birds were slaughtered and meat temperature was measured at 15, 30 and 60 min postmortem in the right pectoralis major. Thigh meat quality parameters (water holding capacity, pH and Malon Di Aldehyde (MDA)) were measured in 1 and 60 day postmortem. Protein and lipid of thigh meat were evaluated on 1 day postmortem. The results showed that body weight gain and feed conversion ratio in grower and the whole period were improved for S2 compared to other treatments. Feed intake, meat temperature, fat, protein and pH were not significant between treatments. Meat dry matter was increased significantly in S1 and S2 treatment compared to P1 and P2 (P<0.05). MDA (1 day postmortem) was not significant between treatments but 60 day postmortem, MDA was significantly decreased in P2 compared to control treatment (P<0.05). WHC (1 day postmortem) significantly increased (P<0.05) in S1 and S2 compared to P1 but these differences were not significant for 60 day postmortem. The results also indicate that there were significant correlation between WHC, pH, dry matter, protein and fat. The Result of this study showed that Saffron petal extract can improve performance and it has antioxidant property but antioxidant effect of pennyroyal was higher than that of saffron petal.