• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.652-661
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• 2021

Objective: Wooden breast (WB) is a novel myopathy affecting modern broiler chickens, which causes substantial economic losses in the poultry industry. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of WB abnormality on meat quality, redox status, as well as the expression of genes of the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. Methods: A total of 80 broilers (Ross 308, 42 days of age, about 2.6 kg body weight) raised at Jiujin farm (Suqian, Jiangsu, China) were used. Twelve unaffected (no detectable hardness of the breast area) and twelve WB-affected (diffuse remarkable hardness in the breast muscle) birds were selected from the commercial broiler farm according to the criteria proposed by previous studies. Results: The results indicated that WB showed histological lesions characterized by fiber degeneration and fibrosis, along with an increase of muscle fiber diameter (p<0.05). Moreover, higher pH value, lightness, yellowness, drip loss and cooking loss were observed in the WB group (p<0.05). Compared with the normal breast (NOR) group, the WB group showed higher formation of reactive oxygen species (p<0.05), increased level of oxidation products and antioxidant activities (p<0.05), accompanied with mitochondrial damages and lower mitochondrial membrane potential (p<0.05). Meanwhile, the relative mRNA expressions of Nrf2 and its downstream antioxidant genes including heme oxygenase-1, NAD(P)H qui none dehydrogenase 1, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and glutamate-cysteine ligase were higher than those of the NOR group (p<0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, WB myopathy impairs meat quality by causing oxidative damages and mitochondrial dysfunction in broilers, even though the activated Nrf2/antioxidant response element pathway provides protection for the birds.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.347-354
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• 2010

The current work was carried out to investigate the effect of crossbred Korean native chickens (KNC) on performance and carcass ratio. Seven hundred twenty 1-d-old chicks were divided into groups by strain (A, B, C and D) and sex (male and female). Strains were A) (KNC egg-meat type C strains $\times$ KNC meat type S strains) $\times$ KNC meat type H strains, B) (KNC egg-meat type C strains $\times$ KNC meat type H strains) $\times$ KNC meat type S strains, C) (KNC native R strains $\times$ KNC meat type S strains) $\times$ KNC meat type H strains and D) (KNC native L strains $\times$ KNC meat type H strains $\times$ Ross broiler. Experimental diets consisted of 3 phases such as starter(0~5 weeks; CP 20.0%, ME 3,050 kcal/kg), earlier (5~8 weeks; CP 18.0%, ME 3,100 kcal/kg) and finisher (8~12 weeks; CP 16.0%, ME 3,150 kcal/kg). Body weight (BW) and feed intake (FI) was measured every week and carcass ratio(CR) was calculated at 5 and 10 week after starting experiment. There was no difference in BW among strains until 5 weeks (P>0.05), however D strain resulted in a higher BW after 5 weeks (P<0.05). Body weight gain (BWG) and FI in D strain were also significant higher compared to the other strains for all periods. However, D strains showed the lowest (P<0.05) fee conversion ratio (FCR). The other strains except D showed a similar BW, BWG, FI and FCR among strains. In addition, there were no differences in carcass weight (CW) and carcass ratio (CR) among strains at 5 weeks, however D strain showed higher CW and CR at 10 weeks. These results suggested the basic data that needed to develope the new strains.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.994-1002
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• 2012

An experiment was carried out to determine the effect of age and caponization on the development blood and bone characteristics development in male country chickens in Taiwan. A total of two hundred 8-wk-old LRI native chicken cockerels, Taishi meat No.13 from LRI-COA, were used as experimental animals. Cockerels were surgically caponized at 8 wks of age. Twelve birds in each group were bled and dressed from 8 wks to 35 wks of age at 1 to 5 wk intervals. The results indicated that the plasma testosterone concentration was significantly (p<0.05) lower in capons after 12 wks of age (caponized treatment after 4 wks) than that of the intact males. The relative tibia weight, bone breaking strength, cortical thickness, bone ash, bone calcium, bone phosphorus and bone magnesium contents were significantly (p<0.05) higher in intact males, while capons had higher (p<0.05) plasma ionized calcium, inorganic phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase concentration. The plasma testosterone concentration, relative tibia weight, tibia length, breaking strength, cortical thickness, bone ash, calcium, and phosphorus contents of intact males chickens increased significantly (p<0.05) with the advance of age. In addition, the relative tibia weight of capons peaked at 18 wks of age, and declined at 35 wks of age. The bone ash, calcium and phosphorus content increased most after 14 wks of age in male native chickens in Taiwan. Also, tibia length and cortical thickness peaked at 22 wks of age. However, the peak of bone strength was found at 26 wks of age. These findings support the assertion that androgens can directly influence bone composition fluxes in male chickens. Caponization caused a significant increase in bone loss at 4 wks post treatment, which reflected bone cell damage, and demonstrated reductions in the relative tibia weight, breaking strength, cortical thickness, bone ash, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium contents, and increases in plasma ionized calcium, inorganic phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase concentration.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.549-554
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• 2016

The present study was conducted to investigate whether dietary essential oils could affect growth performance, relative organ weights, cecal microflora, immune responses and blood profiles of broiler chickens fed on diets containing different nutrient densities. A total of eight hundred-forty 1-d-old male broiler chicks were randomly allotted into twenty-eight pens (7 pens per treatment, 30 chicks per pen). There were four experimental diets containing two different nutrient densities and supplemented with or without essential oils. Experimental period lasted for 35 days. No clear interaction between nutrient density and essential oils on any of growth performance-related parameters was observed. Live body weights were affected (p<0.05) by nutrient density at 21 days and by dietary essential oils at 35 days. Essential oils significantly (p<0.05) increased daily body weight gain and feed conversion ratio during the periods of 22 to 35 and 1 to 35 days, but failed to affect feed intake during the entire experimental period. Daily weight gain at 1 to 21 days and feed intake at 1 to 21 and 1 to 35 days were significantly impaired (p<0.05) by nutrient density. There were significant treatment interactions (p<0.05) on relative weights of bursa of Fabricius and abdominal fat contents. Finally, either essential oil or nutrient density did not influence the relative percentages of breast and leg meats, the population of cecal microflora, blood parameters and antibody titers against Newcastle disease and infectious bronchitis in broiler chickens. It was concluded that dietary essential oils, independent to nutrient density, failed to stimulate feed intake, but increased growth performance in broiler chickens.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.632-642
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• 2019

The concentrations of functional compounds and micronutrients of chicken breast from native chickens were compared with those from broiler. Totally 200 male chicks from a commercial native chicken (HH) and three newly bred native chicken strains (2A, 2C, and 2D) were reared for about 2 kg of final live weight up to 12 wk. After slaughtered, antioxidant dipeptides, reducing sugar, free amino acids, vitamins, and minerals of the breast muscles were analyzed with those from broilers with similar live weight. Mostly native chicken strains had higher contents of carnosine, anserine, and reducing sugar than the broiler. Especially HH implied the highest values of carnosine and anserine, and 2C did the highest of reducing sugar (p<0.05). Vitamin A contents between native chickens and broiler were not significantly different (p>0.05). The contents of ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ were significantly higher in 2C than those of HH or broiler (p<0.05). Native chicken strains contained lower cholesterol levels than the broiler. Broiler had higher contents of P, Mg, and Na than native chickens (p<0.05), but it had lower content of Cu than HH or 2A. The savory free amino acids including glutamic acid was highest in 2A than the other native chickens and broiler (p<0.05). This study confirms that certain new strains of native chickens be a good source in terms of functional compounds and micronutrients which can be attractive health promoting nutritional quality factors.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2016

A total of 144 one-day-old male broilers (ROSS ${\times}$ Ross 308) ($42{\pm}0.1g$) were used in a completely randomized design and allotted to one of three dietary treatments to give 6 replicates per treatment (8 birds per cage). The three watery dietary treatments were 1) a corn-soybean meal-based relation [Negative control (NC); no antimicrobial compounds added] with tab water, 2) 8 ppm liquid-alpha-lipoic acid [Positive control (PC)] or 3) 100 ppm liquid-resveratrol. All dietary treatments were continuously provided as a liquid form. Birds were housed in a battery cage (n=48), and were offered liquid dietary treatments at all times. The ambient temperature was maintained at $32{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ for the first 3 weeks and decreased gradually to $28{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ by the end of the experiment (d 35) to induce moderate heat stress. One bird per pen (n=6) was euthanized via cervical dislocation at day 21 to obtain terminal ileum to measure villous height and crypt depth, while another bird per pen (n=6) was similarly euthanized at day 35 and used to harvest breast meat and drumsticks to evaluate meat quality traits. Birds fed liquid-resveratrol did not improve (P>0.05) body weight and average daily gain compared with those fed other dietary treatments from day 1 to day 35. Birds fed liquid-resveratrol had no effect (P>0.05) on villous height compared with birds were in other dietary treatments at day 21. Liquid-resveratrol had no effect (P>0.05) on thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) in drumsticks compared with other dietary treatments at day 35. Furthermore, birds fed liquid-resveratrol had no effect (P>0.05) on DPPH radical scavenging activity both in breast meat and drumsticks compared with those fed other dietary treatments at day 35. Morphological changes of ileum were not observed by immunofluorescence, and the level of occludin protein from ileum extracts also did not differ among groups. Our results suggested that liquid form of antioxidant compounds used in the current study such as alpha-lipoic acid (8 ppm) or resveratrol (100 ppm) did not improve growth performance, meat quality traits and histology of terminal ileum compared with those fed negative control in broiler chickens under moderate heat stress for 35 days.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.53-59
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• 2014

To evaluate the meat quality differences of Korean Native Chickens (KNC) available in Korean market, the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of a broiler and two KNC (HH and WD breed) were analyzed. The fat content of KNC WD breast meat was higher than that of KNC HH. The breast and thigh meats of KNC HH had higher $L^*$ and $a^*$ values than the broiler or the KNC WD. WD meats showed greater DPPH radical scavenging activity and higher pH values than the HH. For the fatty acid composition, there was no significant difference in total content of the saturated fatty acids among chicken breeds (p>0.05). KNC had greater content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially arachidonic acid (20:4) and DHA (22:6), compared with the broiler. KNC WD meats had higher composition of linolenic acid (18:3) than the KNC HH. For sensory evaluation, the WD breast meat showed higher taste and tenderness scores than the HH. On the other hand, the soup made by broiler had higher taste scores than the KNC. The breast and thigh meat from two KNC breeds showed different quality parameters that may come from the differences of genetic attributes, feed, and production strategy between two breeds.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.57-68
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• 2008

This study was conducted to evaluate effects of dietary pine cone meal on growth performance, serum cholesterol, carcass quality and fatty acid composition and cholesterol content of meat in broiler chickens. Three treatments were assigned to 480(2 days) Arbor Acre broiler chicks with eight replications, allocating 20 broiler chicks in each replication. Dietary treatments included 1) CS(1% cottonwood sawdust), 2) PCM0.5(0.5% cottonwood sawdust + 0.5% pine cone meal) and 3) PCM1.0(1% pine cone meal). During the overall period the difference of growth performance was not significant among treatments (P>0.05). Also, cholesterol profile(total, HDL, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride) in serum and carcass characteristic were not affected by treatments(P>0.05). TBARS of leg and breast meat was significantly decreased (P<0.05) in PCM1.0 treatment compared to CS treatment. In fatty acid contents of leg meat, C20:0 was significantly higher in PCM0.5 treatment than PCM1.0 treatment(P<0.05). Also, C18:3n3 was significantly lower in PCM1.0 treatment than other treatments(P<0.05). Cholesterol contents of leg, breast meat and abdomen fat were not significant among treatment(P>0.05). In conclusion, results of the experiment were affected by dietary supplementation of pine cone meal on TBARS of leg and breast meat.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.277-285
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• 2021

This study was conducted to compare performance, carcass yield, and meat quality of 4 Korean indigenous commercial chickens (Hanhyup 3: G, Sorae 1: V, Woorimatdak 1: S, Woorimatdak 2: W). A total of 384 chickens were divided into 4 treatments with 4 Korean indigenous commercial chickens, 6 repetitions per treatment, and 16 birds per treatment (♀ 8 birds, ♂ 8 birds). For 12 weeks, body weight was significantly higher in G and V breeds than S and W breeds (P<0.01), but body weight gain lower in S breed (P<0.05). Feed conversion ratio was significantly higher in W breed at 8~10 wk of age (P<0.05). There was no significant difference on livability among four treatments. Carcass yield and fresh meat ratio were highest in V breed at 12 wk of age (P<0.05). On breast meat, shear force was lower in G breed (P<0.05), and higher in male than in female (P<0.05). Lightness (L^*) of breast meat was higher in female except V breed, and redness (a^*) was significantly higher in breed G (P<0.05). Yellowness (b^*) of breast meat was higher in G and V breeds, and higher in male than in female except breed G. In conclusion, G and V breeds showed superior performance, and S and W breeds showed superior meat quality.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.779-788
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• 2019

An experiment was conducted with 240 broiler chickens (ROSS 308) to evaluate the influence of supplementation of a probiotic feed mixture (PFM) including Bacillus subtillus, Streptomyces galilaeus, and Sphingobacteriaceae on growth performance and quality of chicken meats. Broiler chickens were randomly allocated to one of four treatment groups: 1) CON (no PFM as control), 2) CP3 (0.3% commercial probiotics), 3) PFM3 (0.3% PFM), and 4) PFM5 (0.5% PFM 0.5). They were then reared for 35 days. Body weight was significantly increased in CP3, PFM3, and PFM5 compared to that in CON (p<0.05). In addition, PFM3 and PFM5 had higher body weights then CP3 (p<0.05). Weights of F-sac, thymus, and spleen and IgG levels were significantly higher in CP3, PFM3, and PFM5 than those in CON (p<0.05). In addition, they were higher in PFM3 and PFM5 than those in CP3 (p<0.05). Broiler chickens fed diet with PFM3, PFM5, and CP3 also had higher numbers of Lactobacillus in cecum than broiler chickens fed CON diet (p<0.05). However, their numbers of E. coli, Salmonella, coliforms, and total aerobic bacteria were significantly reduced (p<0.05). Water holding capacity of breast meat was significantly improved in PFM3 and PFM5 compared to that in CON and CP3 (p<0.05). These results suggest that dietary 0.3% probiotic feed mixture including Bacillus subtillus, Streptomyces galilaeus, and Sphingobacteriaceae may improve growth performance and meat quality of broiler chickens.