EFFECT OF Β-ALANINE AND L-HISTIDINE ON CONCENTRATION OF CARNOSINE IN MUSCLE TISSUE AND OXIDATIVE STABILITY OF CHICKEN MEAT

Abstract

This paper presents the results of two separate experiments, each involving 75 chickens of Cobb 500 provenience, divided into three experimental groups. During the last three weeks of fattening, chickens were fed finisher diets supplemented with amino acids β-alanine (0%, 0.5% and 1%) and L-histidine (0%, 0.3% and 0.5%) in different portions. After chickens have been slaughtered, 10 samples of breast tissue were taken from each group for carnosine content determination in muscle tissue and lipid oxidation expressed as TBARS. Analysis of THE results referring to carnosine concentration in breast muscle proved that supplementation of 0.5% L-histidine affected the carnosine concentration increase in breast muscles from 941.58 µg/g of tissue (H1) to 1186.06 µg/g of tissue (H3), while supplementation of 1% β-alanine influenced the increase in carnosine concentration from 756.15 µg/g of tissue (A1) to 911.01 µg/g of tissue (A3). Supplementation of amino acids did not have effects on TBARS values, but oxidation values decreased along with the supplementation of higher amounts of amino acids to diets, which was particularly expressed in samples stored for 60 days at -20°C. The experimental group H3 (0.5% L-histidine) exhibited 30.54% lower value of lipid oxidation than the control one H1 (0% L-histidine), while the group with 1% β-alanine (A3) had lipid oxidation value by 17.65% lower than the control group A1 (0% β-alanine).

Keywords

• β-alanine
• L-histidine
• carnosine
• TBARS
• chicken
• oxidative stability