ARS | Publication request: Formulation of poultry feed with polyunsaturated fatty acids and natural antioxidants to improve meat quality

Submitted to: Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: May 15, 2009
Publication Date: August 23, 2009
Citation: Holser, R.A., Hinton Jr, A. 2009. Formulation of poultry feed with polyunsaturated fatty acids and natural antioxidants to improve meat quality. 17th European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition, 23-27 August, 2009, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Technical Abstract: Formulation of poultry feed with polyunsaturated fatty acids and natural antioxidants to improve meat quality Ronald Alan Holser* and Arthur Hinton, Jr Russell Research Center, USDA-ARS, 950 College Station Road, Athens, Georgia, 30605 USA *Corresponding author: Tel. +1 706-546-3361; Fax +1 706-546-3607; E-mail: Ronald.Holser@ars.usda.gov Keywords: feed, flaxseed, poultry, PUFA, tocopherols Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have been shown to provide benefits to cardiovascular and nervous system health. The general acceptance of these findings has generated interest in formulating foods and feeds with PUFAs such as alpha linolenic (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). However, the high degree of unsaturation in their chemical structure leads to rapid oxidative degradation and loss of bioactivity. The degradation products can also impart malodors that produce feed aversion. Previous studies conducted with flaxseed as a source of ALA in poultry feed have shown the presence of anti-nutritional compounds which lead to reduced yields in broilers. Alternatively formulating feed with PUFAs isolated from fish oil extracts provides a source of the longer chain compounds EPA and DHA that are responsible for improved nervous system development and brain function. These compounds have 5 and 6 unsaturated bonds, respectively, and are proportionately more susceptible to degradation than ALA with 3 unsaturated bonds. This study was undertaken to determine the ability of tocopherols to inhibit the oxidation of PUFAs and preserve their bioactivity for use as a feed supplement. The tocopherols are a group of structurally similar antioxidant compounds obtained as a by-product of vegetable oilseed processing. PUFAs obtained from fish oil extracts were combined with different levels of tocopherols. These mixtures were exposed to time and temperature profiles characteristic of poultry feed process conditions. Headspace analysis was performed on these samples to monitor the evolution of volatile compounds that indicate oxidative degradation of the PUFAs. The results demonstrated that tocopherols were able to preserve the unsaturated structure of the PUFAs during the laboratory simulated production process when added at levels between 300 and 500 ppm. It is expected that feed formulated with this combination of PUFAs and antioxidant s would continue to exhibit activity after extended storage times.