Effect of galactooligosaccharides delivered in ovo on meat quality traits of broiler chickens exposed to heat stress

S. Tavaniello; A. Slawinska; D. Prioriello; V. Petrecca; M. Bertocchi; M. Zampiga; G. Salvatori; G. Maiorano

Poultry Science (Jan 2020)

Effect of galactooligosaccharides delivered in ovo on meat quality traits of broiler chickens exposed to heat stress

S. Tavaniello,
A. Slawinska,
D. Prioriello,
V. Petrecca,
M. Bertocchi,
M. Zampiga,
G. Salvatori,
G. Maiorano

Affiliations

S. Tavaniello: Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; Corresponding author
A. Slawinska: Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; Department of Animal Biotechnology and Genetics, UTP University of Science and Technology, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland
D. Prioriello: Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
V. Petrecca: Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
M. Bertocchi: Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy
M. Zampiga: Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy
G. Salvatori: Department of Medicine and Health Science, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
G. Maiorano: Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 99, no. 1
pp. 612 – 619

Abstract

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ABSTRACT: A study was carried out to evaluate meat quality traits in fast-growing chickens stimulated in ovo with trans-galactoolighosaccarides (GOS) and exposed to heat stress. On day 12 of egg incubation, 3,000 fertilized eggs (Ross 308) were divided into prebiotic group (GOS) injected with 3.5 mg GOS/egg, saline group (S) injected with physiological saline, and control group (C) uninjected. After hatching, 900 male chicks (300 chicks/treatment) were reared in floor pens in either thermoneutral (TN; 6 pens/group, 25 birds/pen) or heat stress conditions (HS, 30°C from 32 to 42 D; 6 pens/group, 25 birds/pen). At 42 D of age, 15 randomly chosen birds/treatment/temperature were slaughtered and the pectoral muscle (PM) was removed for analyses. Data were analyzed by GLM in a 3 × 2 factorial design. In ovo treatment had no effect on PM weight, pH, water-holding capacity, and shear force. GOS and S birds had lighter (L*, P < 0.01) PM than C group, whereas the latter showed a higher (P < 0.05) yellowness index (b*) compared to S group. Proximate composition, cholesterol, and intramuscular collagen properties were not affected by treatment. As for fatty acid composition, only total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) content and n-6 PUFA were slightly lower in GOS group compared to S. Heat stress had a detrimental effect on PM weight (P < 0.01) and increased meat pH (P < 0.01). PM from HS chickens was darker with a higher b* index (P < 0.05) and had a higher (P < 0.01) lipid content and a lower (P < 0.05) total collagen amount. Total saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and PUFA were similar among groups. Significant interactions between factors were found for fatty acid composition: GOS decreased (P < 0.01) SFA and increased (P < 0.05) MUFA contents in HS birds. In conclusion, in ovo injection of GOS could mitigate the detrimental effect of heat stress on some meat quality traits.

Published in Poultry Science

ISSN: 0032-5791 (Print); 1525-3171 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Agriculture: Animal culture
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/poultry-science

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