The Impact of Dietary Linum usitatissimum and Moringa oleifera as Feed Additives on the Fatty Acid Profile, Oxidative Stability, and Composition of Broiler Meat

Abstract

ABSTRACT An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementing Linum usitatissimum (flaxseed) with Moringa oleifera leaf (moringa) on the carcass quality, fatty acids profile, and oxidative stability of broiler chicken. A total of 240 one-day-old mixed-sex Cobb 500 broilers were assigned to the following four dietary treatments: T1 - Control diet; T2 - Flaxseed 0.5% + Moringa 1%; T3-Flaxseed 1%+ Moringa 1%; and T4-Flaxseed 1.5% + Moringa 1%. The final body weight gain was similar in all groups after 35 days, with significantly (p<0.05) reduced feed intake in T4 compared to the control. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values of the meat were reduced in the flaxseed and moringa groups (p<0.05) compared to the control. Cholesterol content in thigh meat decreased significantly (p<0.05) in groups T3 and T4 compared to the control. In breast and thigh meat, the omega 3 fatty acids were higher, alongside significantly increased polyunsaturated fatty acids, and a lower omega 6 to omega 3 ratio (except in the T2 group) was observed in the thigh meat of the flaxseed and moringa groups (p<0.05). Overall, the results indicate that diets with up to 1.5% flaxseed and 1% moringa improved meat composition and omega 3 fatty acids and reduced the lipid oxidation of broiler meat.