LAUSR

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of grape seed oil (GSO) supplementation to broilers fed polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)-enriched diets on growth performance, color, texture, fatty acid content and lipid peroxidation of meat. The 4-week feeding trial was conducted on 120 Cobb 500 broilers, assigned to three groups and housed in an experimental hall on permanent wood shaves litter. GSO was tested as source of natural antioxidants at different levels, 0% (GSO0, control), 1.5% (GSO1.5) and 3% (GSO3) in the presence of 4% flaxseed meal (FSM) in a completely randomized design. The results show that at the end of the experiment (42 days) the GSO supplementation had no effect (p < 0.05) on productivity parameters, except the final weight which was improved in GSO3 compared to GSO. The thigh meat color indicated a higher degree of lightness (p < 0.05), but the meat texture was not influenced (p < 0.05) by the new tested diets. The GSO diets increased (p < 0.05) the saturated fatty acid (SFA) content and decreased the PUFA content in the thigh meat. Thigh meat samples from GSO treatments had significantly (p < 0.05) improved oxidative stability. In the breast meat only the concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) decreased (p < 0.05). It is concluded that the GSO significantly improved the thigh meat oxidative stability.