Effects of dietary yeast culture supplementation on the meat quality and antioxidant capacity of geese1

Abstract

Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary yeast culture (YC) supplementation on the meat quality and antioxidant capacity of geese. Three hundred geese (live weight: 95.57 ± 2.42 g) were fed a basal diet (control), or diets supplemented with 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, or 4.0% YC for 70 d. Compared with the control, dietary YC supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the lightness and redness (a∗) readings and catalase and glutathione reductase activities in the goose meat but decreased (P < 0.05) the shear force, myofiber diameter, and drip loss. The effects of YC supplementation on the moisture, crude fat, CP, glutathione, and malondialdehyde contents of the meat varied for the different supplementation levels. Meat from the 2.0% YC group had the highest a∗ readings and lowest shear force, myofiber diameter, and drip loss values; meat from the 0.5% YC group had the highest crude fat and CP contents and lowest moisture content; and meat from the 1.0% and 2.0% YC groups had the highest glutathione, catalase, and glutathione reductase activities. Supplementing YC had beneficial effects on the meat quality and antioxidant capacity of geese, with different supplementation levels having different effects.

Keywords

• yeast culture
• geese
• meat quality
• antioxidant