Evaluation of Olive Pomace in the Production of Novel Broilers With Enhanced In Vitro Antithrombotic Properties

Several attempts have been made not only to improve nutritional value of broilers but also to attenuate dependence on raw materials such as corn in compounded broilers feed. Therefore the aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of diets enriched with olive pomace (OP) on Ross 308 broilers growth performance, sensory characteristics, and nutritional value in terms of cardioprotection. Broilers are fed four experimental diets containing 0% OP (control group), 2.5% OP (group A), 5.0% OP (group B), and 7.5% OP (group C). The obtained broiler meat samples are evaluated for their lipid and phenol content and their in vitro antithrombotic properties according to biological assay in human platelets. Groups B and C exhibit significantly increased (P<0.05) growth rate compared to the ones of control group. Additionally group B exhibits significantly more potent (P<0.05) in vitro antithrombotic properties (EC50 = 10.5 +/- 0.92) compared to the ones of control group (EC50 = 420 +/- 21.3). Grilled broiler meat of group B is found to have acceptable sensory properties. The overall conclusion of this paper is the potential use of OP in compounded broilers feed in the production of functional broilers meat.