Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effects of different levels of dietary soybean oil and alpha tocopherol acetate on growth performance and meat lipid peroxidation and acidity after slaughter in broilers. 405 one day old Ross-308 were used in this experiment. The study was done in a completely randomized design with 3×3 factorial arrangement include 3 levels of soybean oil (0, 1.5 and 3%) and 3 concentrations of alpha tocopherol acetate (0, 0.02 and 0.04) with three replicates under each treatment and 15 chicks per each pen. Growth performance parameters such as weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio and energy efficiency ratio were recorded weekly during 1 to 42 days. In the end of training two birds per each pen were weighed and slaughtered. Then, carcass characteristics were measured. Thigh samples of these birds were collected and stored to meat quality analysis. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) for day one after slaughter and thigh meat acidity were determined as meat quality traits. The results of this experiment suggested that effects of dietary treatments on broilers growth performance were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Thigh percentage was influenced by dietary soybean oil (P<0.05). Whereas, all carcass traits were not affected by treatments with alpha tocopherol acetate (P>0.05). The results of meat quality study indicated that thiobarbituric acid (TBA) number was affected by dietary soybean oil (P<0.05). Whereas the effect of alpha tocopherol acetate on TBA number was not significant (P>0.05). Thigh meat acidity were not affected by treatments (P>0.05). In conclusion, the use of soybean oil and alpha tocopherol acetate in broiler diets had no negative effects on growth performance.

Key words: Broiler, alpha tochopherol acetate, fatty acid, performance.