Efterpi Christaki
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Title: Effects of dietary plant extracts rich in Allium sativum and Woodfordia fruiticosa on chicken growth performance, intestinal microbiota and meat oxidative stability
Biography
Biography: Efterpi Christaki
Abstract
Aim/Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of two herbal products on growth performance, intestinal microbiota of jejunum and cecum, the breast and thigh meat composition and its oxidative stability during refrigerate storage.
Methods: A total of 240, one-day-old, broiler chicks were used in a 42-day trial. Chickens were randomly distributed into three treatments with four replicates of twenty chickens per pen: Control group; Vilocym Z group; Salcocheck Pro group. Vilocym Z and Salcocheck Pro are herbal products of the Ayurvet® Company and were given at the level of 1.0g/kg of feed for each one throughout the trial that lasted 42 days. At the end of the trial, total counts of bacteria, Lactobacilli and Escherichia coli counts were enumerated by real time PCR at both jejunum and cecum. Chemical composition and oxidative stability was also evaluated in both breast and thigh meat.
Results: The results of the present study showed that Vilocym Z group had higher jejunum, cecum and Lactobacilli counts and improved oxidative stability of breast and thigh meat after 1 and 4 days of refrigerated storage, compared to the control group. Salcocheck group had higher jejunum Lactobacilli counts and Escherichia coli cecum count, and improved oxidative stability of breast and thigh meat after 1 and 4 days of refrigerated storage, compared to the control group.
Conclusion: On the above basis, Allium sativum and Woodfordia fruiticosa enriched products could be used as substances to increase antioxidant activity of chicken tissues.