Effects of feeding varying levels of DL Methionine on meat quality of broiler chickens

Authors: Pokoo-Aikins, Anthony; TIMMONS, JENNIFER - University Of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES); MIN, BYUNGROK - University Of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES); MWANGI, SAMUEL - Alcorn State University; CHEN, CHONGXIAO - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/4/2021
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The amount of synthetic Methionine (MET) permitted by USDA in organic broiler feed is 2 pounds/ton of feed. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of feeding dietary supplemental DL-(MET) on breast meat quality of broilers raised to a target weight of 2.72kg. Meat quality parameters investigated were color, pH, drip loss, water holding capacity, moisture uptake, cooking yield, texture, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and lipid oxidation (LO). A total of 1,552 1-day-old Ross 708, sexed broiler chicks were randomly distributed to 32 pens, resulting in 8 treatments of 4 replicates with 44 males or 53 females/pen. A randomized complete block with a 2 x 4 factorial arrangement of treatments (sex x 4 MET levels 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0g/kg feed) was used. The MET levels in the basal diets for starter, grower and finisher were, 0.37, 0.31 and 0.33%, respectively, while the MET+Cys levels in the same diets were, 0.69, 0.67 and 0.59%, respectively. Data were analyzed using GLMP for ANOVA. Mean differences were determined using Tukey's all-pairwise comparison test at P = 0.05. No significant interactions were observed between MET and sex on meat quality except for TAC and LO of raw meat stored for 10 days. Raw breast meat of male broilers fed 0g MET had higher (P = 0.05) LO levels at day 10 of storage than those of males fed 0.5g and 1g MET. Breast meat from male broilers had significantly higher redness, TAC, firmness, and toughness but lower yellowness (P < 0.01) than those from females. Broiler sex considerably affected the sensory quality of the meat. MET supplementation did not affect most of the meat quality parameters investigated in this study. However, birds fed 0.5g MET had significantly lower drip loss (P < 0.01) than those fed 1 and 2g MET. Males fed 0.5, 1 and 2g MET and females fed 0 and 0.5g MET had higher (P = 0.05) muscle TAC than females fed 1 and 2g MET. Broilers fed the basal diet (0g MET) had significantly higher meat redness than broilers fed 1 and 2g MET. Regardless of sex, LO in cooked breast meat significantly decreased at days 0 and 3 of storage (P < 0.01) as MET supplementation levels increased to 1g MET and higher. However, LO levels in the cooked meat at day 7 of storage were not affected by the MET supplementation. Furthermore, breast meat from birds fed 1 and 2g MET had higher (P < 0.01) cooking yield (79.04 and 78.60%, respectively) than those fed 0 and 0.5g MET (66.18 and 68.03%, respectively). These results suggest that the supplementation of MET at 1g MET or higher for broilers can improve oxidative stability and muscle protein functionality and increase the cooking yield of their breast meat.