Effect of varying ratios of n-6 and n-3 on selenium content in broiler breast muscle

Abstract

To investigate the effect of fatty acid composition on broiler meat selenium concentration and antioxidative capacity, 60 broiler chickens were individually fed one out of three high-selenium diets, based on either soybean oil (SO), rapeseed oil (RO) or a RO/linseed oil (LNO) mix. Breast muscle total selenium concentration was significant decreased (P=0.007) in the SO compared to RO and LNO dietary groups, while no differences were observed for antiradical power, glutathione peroxidise values or sensory evaluation for the three groups. LNO resulted in an almost five times lower ratio between arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid and a three times lower n-6/n-3 ratio compared to the SO group. These results indicate that dietary fatty acid composition may affect broiler meat total selenium concentration and suggest that a lowered n-6/n-3 ratio and increased level of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in broiler meat may increase total selenium in meat.

Keywords:

• Broiler
• n-3 fatty acids
• n-6 fatty acids
• selenium
• meat nutritional quality glutathione peroxidase
• antiradical power
• rapeseed oil
• linseed oil
• soybean oil

Acknowledgments

We thank the National Research Council of Norway and Animalia, Oslo, Norway (KMB) for their financial support of this research and publication. The assistance of colleagues and laboratory staff at the Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, and at the Animal Production Experimental Centre at The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, and Nofima A/S, Aas, Norway, are gratefully acknowledged.