Effect of dietary supplementation with Pleurotus ostreatus on growth performance and meat quality of Japanese quail

Pleurotus streams is an edible mushroom that possesses antioxidant potential. The effect of dietary supple. mentation with Pleurotus ostreatus on performance, carcass, and meat quality attributes of Japanese quail was investigated. The experiment involving a total of 288 quails 1-d-old, which were fed diets supplemented with P. ostreatus (0, 10 or 20 g/kg of diet) for 35 d, with feed and water for ad libitum consumption. Total polysaccharide (TP), total phenolic and flavonoid content (TPC and TFC), antiradical DPPH center dot and ABTS(center dot+) activity, as well as polyphenols compositions of P. ostreatus extract were evaluated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The pH, color (L*, a* and b*), water holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss weight (CLW), texture and oxidative stability (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS; total phenolic content, TPC; antiradical DPPH center dot and ABTS(center dot+) activity) were measured in breast meat during storage (0, 5, 10 and 15 d; 4 degrees C without illumination). Statistical differences were not detected on growth performance expressed as body weight gain 228.3 g, feed intake 467.9 g, feed conversion ratio 2.0, feed efficiency 0.49, live weight at the slaughter of the birds 217.2 g, as well as carcass weight 133.0 g and yield 61.3 g of the quail breast (P > 0.05). At day 15 of meat storage, the pH(24) (9.0%), a* (14.7%), b* (9.3%), WHC (7.2%), TPC (40.0%), DPPH center dot (11.0%) and ABTS' (33.0%) values were increased in quails fed with P. ostreatus in comparison with the control group; while parameter L* (9.0%), CLW (21.4%), texture (30.7%) and lipid oxidation-TBARS (33.5%) values were reduced (P < 0.05), which could be associated with the presence of polysaccharide and phenolic constituents in this edible mushroom. In conclusion, this edible mushroom has the potential for use in the feed of Japanese quail to improve meat quality and to serve as an antioxidant that reduces lipid oxidation during storage.