Betaine: a promising antioxidant agent for enhancement of broiler meat quality

Abstract

1. Antioxidant and methyl donor effects of betaine in experimental animal models have recently been demonstrated. The present study was therefore designed to examine the antioxidant effects of betaine on the antioxidant status and meat quality of breast muscles in broilers.

2. Cobb broilers were randomly divided into Control, Methionine low, Methionine low plus betaine, and Betaine groups.

3. The activity of the main antioxidant enzyme (glutathione peroxidase) in the Betaine and the Methionine low plus betaine groups significantly increased compared to the Methionine low and Control groups. Catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were significantly higher in the Betaine group compared to the Methionine low group, and lipid peroxidation was significantly higher in the Control and the Methionine low groups.

4. The present study indicates that adding betaine (1 g/kg) to a diet deficient in methionine can significantly improve antioxidant defences and meat quality, decreasing lipid peroxidation in the breast muscles of broiler chickens.

Acknowledgements

This research was financially supported by project number 751-MKR, School of Veterinary Medicine-Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. We are most grateful to Sheryl Nikpoor for expert revision on the final manuscript of this study, and Parvin Niknam for kindly cooperation in antioxidant enzymes and TBARS analyses; also thanks to Ms Aghazi for technical assistance in measurement of breast muscle composition.