Effects of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol supplementation on breast meat quality and histomorphometric characteristics in broiler chickens

This experiment was carried out to elucidate the influences of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D-3) status in the diet and the sex of chickens on the sensory and histomorphometric characteristics of the breast muscle (pectoralis major) of broilers. We used a randomized design consisting of a 2x2 factorial arrangement with 25-OH-D-3 (3000 and 5000 IU kg/diet) and two sexes. Breast weight was not affected by either dietary 25-OH-D-3 status or bird sex. Cooking loss was decreased in female chickens but not in male chickens with additional 25-OH-D-3 supplementation. However, increasing 25-OH-D-3 levels in the diet reduced drip loss in male chickens but no change was observed in female chickens. A significant increase in breast meat pH 24 was observed with increasing dietary levels of 25-OH-D-3; however, the squeezable water ratio and lightness (L*), redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) values were comparable among the groups. The histomorphometric characteristics of the chicken breast meat throughout the growth period, except for the cross sectional area and number of fibres, were interactively influenced by 25-OH-D-3 and the sex of the bird. In conclusion, an improvement in 25-OH-D-3 status could be a practical tool to increase chicken breast meat quality with beneficial effects on its water holding capacity.