Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids in Poultry Nutrition: Effect on Production Performance and Health
Mahmoud Alagawany,
Shaaban S. Elnesr,
Mayada R. Farag,
Mohamed E. Abd El-Hack,
Asmaa F. Khafaga,
Ayman E. Taha,
Ruchi Tiwari,
Mohd. Iqbal Yatoo,
Prakash Bhatt,
Sandip Kumar Khurana,
Kuldeep Dhama
Affiliations
Mahmoud Alagawany
Department of Poultry, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt
Shaaban S. Elnesr
Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Fayoum 63514, Egypt
Mayada R. Farag
Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt
Mohamed E. Abd El-Hack
Department of Poultry, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt
Asmaa F. Khafaga
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Edfina 22758, Egypt
Ayman E. Taha
Department of Animal Husbandry and Animal Wealth Development, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Behira, Rasheed, Edfina 22758, Egypt
Ruchi Tiwari
Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Sciences, UP Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalay Evum Go-Anusandhan Sansthan (DUVASU), Mathura 281001, Uttar Pradesh, India
Mohd. Iqbal Yatoo
Division of Veterinary Clinical Complex, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, India
Prakash Bhatt
Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar 263145, (Udham Singh Nagar), Uttarakhand, India
Sandip Kumar Khurana
ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Sirsa Road, Hisar 125 001, Haryana, India
Kuldeep Dhama
Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India
Omega-3 (ω-3) and omega-6 (ω-6) fatty acids are important components of cell membranes. They are essential for health and normal physiological functioning of humans. Not all fatty acids can be produced endogenously owing to the absence of certain desaturases; however, they are required in a ratio that is not naturally achieved by the standard diet of industrialized nations. Poultry products have become the primary source of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), with one of the most effective solutions being to increase the accretion of PUFAs in chicken products via the adjustment of fatty acids in poultry diets. Several studies have reported the favorable effects of ω-3 PUFA on bone strength, bone mineral content and density, and semen quality. However, other studies concluded negative effects of LC-PUFA on meat quality and palatability, and acceptability by consumers. The present review discussed the practical application of ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids in poultry diets, and studied the critical effects of these fatty acids on productive performance, blood biochemistry, immunity, carcass traits, bone traits, egg and meat quality, and semen quality in poultry. Future studies are required to determine how poultry products can be produced with higher contents of PUFAs and favorable fatty acid composition, at low cost and without negative effects on palatability and quality.
