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Background The purpose of the study was to evaluate the post-slaughter value and quality of broiler chicken meat, and the possibility of enriching it with health-promoting fatty acids. Methods The experiment was carried out on 108 sexed broiler chickens (Ross 308). For the first 21 days of their lives, the chickens received the same diet, and after 21 days the chickens were divided into 3 groups of 36 birds (six replicate pens with 6 birds per pen comprised one experimental group), and fed the experimental diets until the 42nd day. The experimental diets were wheat-corn-soybean diets with soybean oil (5% control), grape seed oil or pomegranate seed oil. The grape seed oil and pomegranate seed oil replaced 2% of the soybean oil in the control diet. On day 42, the broilers were slaughtered and post-slaughter tests were performed. Samples of breast and thigh muscle were collected for basic chemical composition, physical characteristics, fatty acid profile, malondialdehyde content and sensory evaluation. Results The source of the oils did not significantly alter the slaughter yield, basic nutrients and physical characteristics of the breast and thigh muscles, but pomegranate seed oil significantly improved the palat- ability of thigh muscles. Grape seed oil and pomegranate seed oil influenced the fatty acid profile of the meat. The grape seed oil significantly decreased saturated fatty acids (palmitic) in muscles. The inclusion of pome- granate seed oil resulted in the deposition of a small amount of punicic acid, while significantly increasing rumenic acid. The inclusion of 2% grape seed oil in the broilersr diet significantly increased the sum of the n-6 fatty acids and the ratio of n-6 to n-3 relative to the control group. Punicic acid n contained in the pomegran- ate seed oil n was effectively converted to rumenic acid, indicating the possibility of enriching the meat with these acids and increasing the health-promoting properties of broilerr meat. Conclusions Grape and pomegranate seed oil are potentially promising additives which could improve the fatty acid profile of poultry meat. The inclusion of grape and pomegranate seed oils into the feed is one way to improve the quality of broiler chicken meat and the derived lfunctional foodr. It could also be a way to give people better quality food without changing their eating habits.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of dried oregano from different regions of the world to diets on the production results, selected organs, as well as the morphometric characteristics and pH of the gastrointestinal tract of broiler chickens. The research feedstuff was dried oregano from Poland, Turkey and Egypt and diets containing these herbs. The oregano from Poland, Turkey and Egypt was added to a wheat-corn-soybean diet in an amount of 2%. The experiment was carried out on 168 broilers Ross 308, 84 males and 84 females, randomly divided into 4 groups of 42 birds each. In this experiment, four diets for the starter period (from 1 to 21 days of age) and four for the grower period (from 22 to 42 days of age) were prepared. The control group (K) were fed a wheat-corn-soybean diet without oregano, whereas chickens from the experimental groups were fed diets with oregano from Poland (OP group), Turkey (OT group) or Egypt (OE group). During the experiment, the body weight at 1, 2, and 42 days of age, feed consumption and mortality were recorded. At 42 days of age, after 14 hours of fasting, the birds were killed and from the body of 32 chickens (8 chickens from each group) the digestive tract, heart, liver, pancreas and spleen were prepared and weighed. The gastrointestinal tract was divided into sections, and their weight and length were measured. Then, in particular segments of the gastrointestinal tract, pH values were determined. The body weight of chickens determined at 21 and 42 days of age were not significantly different between the groups. Significant differences between the groups were noted in feed efficiency during the grower period. The diet containing oregano from Turkey was utilized significantly better than the control diet. Significant differences in the pH of the glandular stomach and caecum were found. Compared with pH in the control group, pH in the glandular stomachs of chickens fed diets containing dried oregano from Egypt was significantly decreased, whereas pH in the caecum of chickens from the OT group was increased. In comparison with the control group, chickens from the groups fed diets containing oregano (except the OP group) had a significantly shorter ileum and larger intestines, and chickens fed a diet with oregano from Turkey had a smaller spleen and gizzard. The results obtained show that the chemical composition of dried oregano from different regions was differential. The addition of 2% of dried oregano to the wheat-corn-soybean diet had no significant influence on the body weight of chickens, but decreased their mortality. Oregano from Turkey added to the wheat-corn-soybean diet improved the feed efficiency in the second period of rearing. These results show that oregano may be a potentially effective supplement for broiler chickens, and the most effective was the oregano from Turkey....

Oils are important food ingredients, mainly as a source of unsaturated fatty acids. The offer of novel edible oils from herbs, spices and fruit seeds has grown and many of them are used as functional food and dietary supplements but also as feed additives in animal feeding. Poultry meat is recommended.in properly balanced diet and its consumption in Poland has been growing. The objective of present study was to verify if the supplementation of chickens' diet with grape seed oil or pomegranate seed oil influences cholesterol content and fatty acids (FA) profile in their livers. Ross 308 chickens (n = 24) were fed with fodder enriched with grape seed oil (G group) or pomegranate seed oil (P group). Diet of control group (C group) was based on soybean oil. FA analysis in livers as well as cholesterol content was made with gas chromatography. We observed significant increase in fat content when part of soybean oil was replaced by grape seed oil (p = 0.0002). Its highest amount was detected in G group (4.44 ± 1.53%) whereas the lowest in C group (1.73 ± 0.53%). Applied supplementation did not change total cholesterol content. Its content ranged from 233.0 ± 12.2 mg/100 g in G group to 234.6 ± 29.7 mg1100 g in C group. However, chickens' diet modification with grape seed oil and pomegranate seed oil influenced the FA profile in livers. We detected the presence of punicic acid (cis-9, trans-11, cis-13 C18:3, PA) in livers of chicken fed with pomegranate seed oil. Pomegranate seed oil is one of natural sources of conjugated linolenic acids (CLnA), which predominate in this oil (PA70% of all FA). However, in livers PA constituted only 0.90 ± 0.10% of all fatty acids. Furthermore, we detected substantial amounts of rumenic acid (cis-9, trans-11 C18:2, RA) - the major isomer of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA). Its natural sources in diet are meat and milk of ruminants, but incorporation of pomegranate seed oil into chickens' diet caused a significant increase of its share in fatty acids pool in their livers (3.73 ? 0.79% in P group in relation to 0.08 ± 0.03% in G group and 0.02 ± 0.00% in C group, p0.0001). It proves that PA is effectively converted into RA in chickens organisms. Pomegranate seed oil seems to be an interesting feed additive in chicken feeding which can improve FA profile of poultry meat.

The aim of this study was to determine whether diet modification with different doses of grapeseed oil or pomegranate seed oil will improve the nutritive value of poultry meat in terms of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids, as well as rumenic acid (cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid) content in tissues diversified in lipid composition and roles in lipid metabolism. To evaluate the influence of applied diet modification comprehensively, two chemometric methods were used. Results of cluster analysis demonstrated that pomegranate seed oil modifies fatty acids profile in the most potent way, mainly by an increase in rumenic acid content. Principal component analysis showed that regardless of type of tissue first principal component is strongly associated with type of deposited fatty acid, while second principal component enables identification of place of deposition-type of tissue. Pomegranate seed oil seems to be a valuable feed additive in chickens' feeding.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of high rape cake content and phytase added to phosphorus and calcium deficient diets on the nutritive value for broiler chickens. Two experiments were performed: a growth experiment on four groups of one-day-old broilers Ross 308, 30 birds per group (6 replications x 5 birds) and a digestibility experiment on 60 chickens divided into four groups of 20 birds (4 replications of 5 birds). The digestibility of the starter diets were evaluated on chickens at 7 days of age and of grower diets at 28 days of age. The diets used in the digestibility tests were the same for the growth trial. In the growth experiment four diets were prepared for the due periods: starters (1-21 day) and growers (22-49 day of chicken life). The control diet (SBM) did not contain rape cake, while experimental diets contained 15% (starters) and 20% (growers) rape cake of Lirajet cultivar. The experimental diet denoted RC HP had P and Ca contents equal the control diet (phosphorus about 7.5 g and calcium about 10 g.kg-1), while the diet denoted as RC LP contained less P and Ca (5.8 g and 6.8 g.kg-1 respectively) than the control and RC HP diets. The diet denoted RC LP+ Phy was supplemented with an enzyme preparation containing phytase at a quantity of 875 FYT.kg-1. Application of 15% of rape cake into starter and 20% into grower diets (RC HP) allowed for similar body weights and feed conversion ratio as the control group, whereas reduction of phosphorus and calcium content in the starter diet (RC LP) significantly decreased body weight at day 21. The addition of phytase to the starter diet with low level of phosphorus and calcium showed the tendency to improve body weight in this period. Application of rape cake into starter and grower diets had poor effects on fat digestibility in all groups, whereas supplementation of grower diets with a low level of phytase phosphorus and calcium improved the digestibility of total phosphorus in comparison to the control and RC HP diets. A tendency to improve the performance results for diets with rape cake (RC HP) in comparison to the control diet in the second period of fattening (grower diets) was observed. Application of rape cake into the diets had a significantly beneficial effect on slaughter yield, fleshiness and fatty acid composition of meat, but not so on the heart muscle, whereas phytase did not have an influence on slaughter results. It was concluded that rape cake can be used in broiler diets, but a quantity of 15% in the starter and 20% in the grower diet may have a negative effect on the heart of so fed birds.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of high rape cake content and microbial phytase added to low-phosphorus diet on deposition of nutrients and energy in body of broiler chickens and quality of their bones. At the beginning, seven 1-day-old Ross 308 chickens were weighed, slaughtered, dried, and their bodies were analysed for gross energy and nutrient content. Next, 90 one-day-old chickens were randomly divided into three groups. The group I was fed control diet (RC), which contained 15% (starter) and 20% (grower) of rape cake of Lirajet cultivar with P (7.5 g kg-1) and Ca (10 g.kg-1). The group I I was fed diet denoted as RC LP, which contained less P and Ca (5.8 g.kg-1 and 6.8 g.kg-1, respectively) than the control diet. The diet for group III, denoted RC LP+ Phy, contained 5.8 g.kg-1 of P and 6.8 g.kg-1of Ca, and was supplemented with enzyme preparation containing 0.35g.kg-1 of phytase. On the 21st d of life, the chickens were weighed and six birds from each group were slaughtered, dried, and analysed. The rest of the chickens were fed grower mixtures to 49 d of age and then six chickens were slaughtered and the quality of their bones was evaluated. The reduction of P and Ca contents in diets and phytase application did not influence body weight and feed consumption, but significantly improved the deposition of total phosphorus in chicken body at 1-21 d of age. The highest content of total phosphorus was stated in the femur of the chickens fed diet with normal P and Ca contents. The application of phytase to low-phosphorus diet did not influence the quality of bones.

Protein feeds in the European Union (EU) cover only 25% demand for protein, what oblige the particular members to import feeds with a high protein content, where the main place have soybean meal. The share of this feed in total quantity of feeds utilization in EU is about 9%. Yearly consumption of soybean meal in EU is about 32mln ton, from what 5.6% it falls on Poland (Rynek Pasz, 2010). Poland, as another countries, is importer of protein feeds, mainly soybean meal. The utilization of high protein feeds in Poland in the season 2010/2011 is estimated on about 3.5mln ton (Rynek Pasz, 2010), from what in country is produced about 1.6mln ton, in this about 1.2mln ton of rapeseed meal,180thou. ton legume seeds and 18thou. ton of fish meal (Rynek Pasz, 2010). Remaining part of feeds must be imported. Import of high protein feeds estimated on about 2.5mln ton, from this about 2mln ton this is soybean meal, which in the most (1.4mln ton) is imported from the Argentine (Rynek Pasz, 2010).To 2003 year, import of animal meals to Poland was evaluated on about 300thou. ton, which were covered about 30-40% demand of protein need to production mixtures for poultry and pigs. In results of prohibition applying the animal meals import decreased to 70thou. ton (Rynek Pasz, 2010).