A reduced cost strategy for enriching chicken meat with omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids using dietary flaxseed oil

ABSTRACT

1. This study aimed to determine the minimal duration required for feeding male broilers (Cobb 500) with a flaxseed oil diet while still retaining long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 LCPUFA) accumulation in the meat at a desirable level.

2. Three groups of broilers (60 each) were fed on a 3% flaxseed oil (high α-linolenic acid (ALA)) diet for either 6, 4 or 2 weeks prior to slaughter. During the remaining time they were maintained on a 3% macadamia oil (low ALA) diet. A fourth group (control, n = 60) was fed on a commercial diet for 6 weeks.

3. No significant difference was observed in growth performance of broilers between groups. The amounts of total n-3 and n-3 LCPUFA in breast and thigh meat were not different between broilers fed the flaxseed oil diet for 4 and 6 weeks, but they were lower (P < 0.001) in those fed the flaxseed diet for only 2 weeks.

4. These results suggest comparable levels of n-3 LCPUFA in the meat can be achieved by only feeding the flaxseed oil diet in the last 3–4 weeks of the growth period; this would result in a ≥ 9.4% reduction in the use of flaxseed oil compared to 6 weeks of feeding; thereby reducing the cost of the enrichment process.

KEYWORDS:

• ALA
• broiler
• feeding duration
• n-3 LCPUFA

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Ridley AgriProducts Pty Ltd, Murray Bridge, Australia, for providing the broiler feed. We are grateful to Mr Derek Schultz at SARDI, Roseworthy Campus, for his help in conducting the broiler experiment and to Ms Ela Zielinski at FOODplus Research Centre for her technical assistance and advice in the fatty acid analysis. We acknowledge the financial support of the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology, Australia (DFEEST).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The experimental work was financed by a grant from the South Australian Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology (DFEEST), Australia. Mr Khaled Kanakri received Research Training Program (RTP) from The Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship and full PhD scholarship from the Faculty of Sciences, University of Adelaide. Beverly Muhlhausler is supported by a Career Development Fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC). Robert Gibson is supported by a NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship..