Antioxidant status and thigh meat quality of broiler chickens fed diet supplemented with α-tocopherolacetate, pomegranate pomace and pomegranate pomace extract

Abstract

The effects of supplementation with α-tocopherol acetate (α-Toc), pomegranate pomace extract (PPE) and pomegranate pomace (PP) into chicken feed on antioxidant status, oxidation susceptibility and quality of the thigh meat during refrigeration were investigated. During six weeks broiler chickens were fed eight dietary treatments, which included: control diet, α-tocopherol diet (200 mg kg−1), PPE diets (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 g kg−1) and PP diets (1, 2 and 3 g kg−1). Feed efficiency was significantly improved by supplementing chickens fed diet with 0.2 g kg−1 PPE. Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC PUFA) n-3 level was higher in the thigh of broilers fed with α-Toc and PPE diets (except 0.1 g kg−1) than in chickens fed control and PP diets (p