Growth Performance and Meat Quality of Broiler Chicks Fed Germinated and Fermented Soybeans

This study was conducted to investigate the dietary effects of germinated and fermented (with Monascus pupureus) soybean screenings (GFS) on growth performance and meat quality in broiler chicken. A total of 750 1-day-old Ross ${\times}$ Ross male broiler chicks were randomly allocated into five groups (five replications with 30 birds each) and fed experimental diets for 5 wks as follows: Group 1, negative-control (antibiotics-free diet); Group 2, positive-control (negative-control with 10 ppm of Avilamycin); Group 3, negative-control with 0.3% GFS; Group 4, negative-control with 0.5% GFS; Group 5, negative-control with 1% GFS. The final body weight of each group fed a diet containing 1% GFS was significantly higher than that of the negative-control group. The feed conversion ratios of all groups fed diets containing GFS and the positivecontrol group were significantly improved compared to the negative-control group during the whole period (p<0.05). The relative weights of various organs along with the activities of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) were not influenced by the dietary treatments. The levels of total serum cholesterol in groups fed diets containing 0.5% and 1% GFS were more significantly lowered compared to those of the control groups without GFS (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in the cecal microflora profiles among the groups. Further, the dietary treatments did not influence the physico-chemical properties of the edible meat, including the shear force, pH, meat color (CIE $L^*$, $a^*$ and $b^*$), and content of malondialdehyde (MDA). Cooking loss of breast muscle in the groups fed GFS was significantly lowered compared to that of the negative control group (p<0.05). These results indicate that dietary GFS could improve growth performance in broiler chicken and may affect meat quality in some instances.