In current experiment, two hundred and twenty day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were used in five groups based a completely randomized design to investigate the effects of different levels of 0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6% thyme extract in drinking water with sodium nitrate (27.4 mg/liter) on the nutrients and the color indices of thigh meat in broiler chickens. The results showed that the consumption of nitrate or thyme extract had no effect on ash, crude protein, crude fat and pH of meat except moisture (P>0.05). Nitrate consumption decreased the meat moisture whereas supplementation of thyme extract increased it (P<0.05). Moreover, in orthogonal comparisons, thyme extract increased the thigh meat moisture (P<0.05).Furthermore, the color indices of lightness (b), redness (a) and yellowness (L) were not affected by dietary treatments (P>0.05). The amount of the nitrite in the thigh meat of chickens in different treatments was similar (P>0.05). It was concluded that nitrate or thyme extract consumption has no effect on nutrients composition and meat color indices of broiler chickens except moisture. However the antioxidant effect of thyme extract has prevented the dehydration of cells in thigh meat through removing the free radicals and hence has increased the meat moisture.
Bomi, T., & Daneshyar, M. (2015). Effects of thyme extract on the nutrients composition and meat color of broiler chickens received sodium nitrate in drinking water. Research Letter in Poultry Science, 1(1), 38-47.
MLA
Tohid Bomi; Mohsen Daneshyar. "Effects of thyme extract on the nutrients composition and meat color of broiler chickens received sodium nitrate in drinking water", Research Letter in Poultry Science, 1, 1, 2015, 38-47.
HARVARD
Bomi, T., Daneshyar, M. (2015). 'Effects of thyme extract on the nutrients composition and meat color of broiler chickens received sodium nitrate in drinking water', Research Letter in Poultry Science, 1(1), pp. 38-47.
VANCOUVER
Bomi, T., Daneshyar, M. Effects of thyme extract on the nutrients composition and meat color of broiler chickens received sodium nitrate in drinking water. Research Letter in Poultry Science, 2015; 1(1): 38-47.
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