Methionine concentration in the pre-starter diet: its effect on broiler breast muscle development.

The effect of feeding diets of variable methionine concentration on breast muscle development was assessed in Ross 308 broiler chicks. Four isonitrogenous and isoenergetic starter diets were formulated to contain 7.8, 5.9, 4.6, and 3.4 g methionine/kg diet, and were provided for the first 7 days post-hatch. At 7 days of age all birds were placed on an industry standard starter diet with 5.9 g methionine/kg diet until 14 days, and then provided standard broiler grower (until 28 days) and finisher (until 42 days) diets. Birds were weighed periodically throughout the study and feed intake and feed conversion ratio were determined. Ten birds per treatment were sacrificed and weighed on 0, 1, 4, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 days. The pectoralis major (breast muscle) was then removed from the carcass and weighed. Samples of breast muscle were collected for genetic and histological analysis. Expression of the myogenic marker genes, myogenic differentiation factor 1 and myogenin, which regulate satellite cell activity, and the adipogenic marker gene, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARg), was measured. Histological assessment of breast muscle morphology and fat deposition morphology was also performed.No effect of dietary treatment was observed on body or breast muscle weight, feed intake or feed conversion ratio. Marker gene expression was also similar in all treatment groups, except for PPARγ. Significantly higher expression of PPARγ was observed at 0 days in the 5.9 g methionine/kg diet treatment, before dietary treatments were provided. Expression of PPARg did not differ among treatment groups on any subsequent day. Methionine dietary treatment had no effect on the morphological structure of the breast muscle, or intramuscular fat deposition. These results suggest that under the conditions of this study, satellite cell activity in the early post-hatch chick, and subsequent muscle development, were not responsive to the variable methionine manipulations tested in the pre-starter period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]