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Response of broiler
chickens in terms of performance and meat quality to garlic
(Allium sativum) supplementation
Gbenga E. Onibi*, Oluwatoyin E. Adebisi, Adebowale N.
Fajemisin and Ayodeji V. Adetunji
Department of Animal Production and Health, Federal
University of Technology, P. M. B 704, Akure, Ondo State,
Nigeria.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
gbengaonibi@yahoo.com.
Accepted
20 May, 2009 |
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A study was
conducted to assess the effect of dietary garlic (Allium
sativum) supplementation on the performance and meat
quality of broiler chickens using a total of 300 day old
Shaver Starbo chicks allotted at 10 birds per replicate and
6 replicates per treatment over a period of 7 weeks. The
basal starter and finisher diets contained 228.61 and 201.42
g/kg CP, respectively. The control diet was the basal diet
without garlic supplementation. Diets 2 and 3 contained
supplementary raw garlic powder at 500 and 5,000 mg/kg diet
respectively, while diets 4 and 5 contained supplementary
boiled garlic powder at 500 and 5,000 mg/kg diet
respectively. 4 female birds per replicate were slaughtered
at the end of the trial to evaluate carcass and muscle
characteristics, garlic aroma and palatability scores of the
meat and oxidative stability of refrigerated meat at 4°C for
6 days were determined. The average weight gain, average
feed intake and feed conversion ratio of the birds were not
significantly (P > 0.05) influenced by dietary treatments.
Broiler chickens fed garlic supplemented diets had
marginally higher weight gain than those fed the control
diet and was higher at high level of garlic supplementation
(39.18
±
0.94, 40.42
±
0.45, 42.39
± 1.57, 39.72
±
2.97 and 41.42
±
2.60 g/bird/day for Diets 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively; P >
0.05). The carcass and organ characteristics of the
chickens were not significantly affected (P>0.05) by dietary
garlic supplementation but abdominal fat contents were
numerically lowered due to supplementary garlic. Moisture
contents of broiler chickens were not significantly (P >
0.05) influenced. Garlic aroma (P < 0.001) and palatability
(P > 0.05) scores increased with increasing level of dietary
garlic supplementation. Thigh muscle had the highest score
for garlic aroma (2.60 ± 1.30), followed by drumstick (2.57
± 1.14) and lowest for breast muscle (2.50 ± 1.17) (P >
0.05). Oxidation susceptibility of meat, measured as
concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA), decreased with
increasing level of supplementary garlic fed to the chickens
(P < 0.01). Muscle MDA concentration was in order of thigh >
drumstick > breast (P < 0.001). It was concluded that
supplementation of chicken diets with garlic marginally
improved weight gain and it was better at high level of
supplementation (5,000 mg/kg diet). Boiled compared with raw
garlic powder produced no beneficial effect. Dietary garlic
supplementation improved meat quality by increasing meat
palatability score and reducing the extent of oxidation of
meat during refrigerated storage.
Key
words:
Broilers, performance, meat, garlic aroma, palatability,
oxidative stability, garlic. |
