Effect of extruded flaxseed in broiler diets on blood oxidative stability and meat fatty acid composition

The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of flaxseed enriched diets on oxidative status of blood and meat fatty acid composition in broilers. A total of 400 day-old Ross 308 hybrid broilers were randomly allotted to 4 experimental treatments and fed with diets containing extruded flaxseed grain at 0 g/kg (control), 25 g/kg (EFS25), 50 g/kg (EFS50) and 100 g/kg (EFS100), respectively for 42 days. Extruded flaxseed had significant effects on the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidative systems in broiler blood. Treatment EFS100, showed the highest (31.2 mu mol/gHb min) SOD activity, CAT activity (44.4 mu mol/gHb min), GSHPx (9.2 mu mol/gHb min) and GSHR activity (16.5 mu mol/gHb min). Diets enriched with extruded flaxseed led to a significant increase in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA; C18:3n-3) in breast and leg meat, which is a major n-3 fatty acid. Long chain n-3 fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3), docosapentaenoic acid (C22:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3), were also present in both, breast and leg meat. In both breast and leg meat the most favourable lowest n-6/n-3 ratio was obtained in the EFS100 treatment, but in EFS25 and EFS50 this ratio also was significantly reduced.