The experiment aimed to assess the effect of dietary inclusion of meals derived from Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae on the meat quality in broilers. The birds were divided into three groups according to the formulated diets: control (CON)– receiving standard diet, Т1 – receiving 5% partially defatted and Т2 – receiving 5% full fat BSF meal during the finishing period (14–35 d). At the age of 35 days, 10 broilers from each group were slaughtered for meat quality evaluation. The dietary inclusion of the BSF meals was associated with decrease of pH and lighter colour of the meat. The total amount of the saturated fatty acids (SFA) and atherogenic index (AI) were increased, while polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), the ratios between PUFA and SFA (P/S), n-6/n-3 PUFA and hypo/hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (h/H) were decreased in the meat of the broilers consuming insect meals. The results of the study suggest good prospective for further research with the examined BSF meals for broiler nutrition to formulate feeding strategies that will not alter negatively meat quality and its healthy value.

Abstract. The fatty acid profile and the related indices of the nutritional quality of breast and thigh muscles were studied in two lines of chickens -La Belle (LB) and White Plymouth Rock (WPR) -slaughtered at the age of 9 and 18 weeks. The fatty acid profile was more affected by the age than the line of the birds; however, the influence of both differed between the breast and thigh. The content of total saturated fatty acids (SFAs) increased in the thigh (P < 0.01), while that of the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) decreased with age in both muscles (P < 0.001). This corresponded to the significant decrease in C18:1 in the older chickens and the lower desaturase activity (P < 0.001). The contents of C20:4n-6, C22:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 and the total amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in breast were higher (P < 0.001) at the age of 18 weeks. A similar pattern in the individual and total PUFA was observed in the thighs. The effect of line was more visible in the breast, leading to a lower C14:0 content and C20:5n-3 and a higher C18:0 content in the WPR chickens (P < 0.001), corresponding to the higher elongase and thioesterase indices in these birds. Both atherogenic (AI) and thrombogenic (TI) indices were lowered, while the ratio of hypocholesterolemic / hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (h / H) and polyunsaturated / saturated fatty acids (P / S) increased in the breast of the birds at 18 weeks. In breast and thigh meat, the ratio of n-6 / n-3 PUFA decreased in the older chickens (P < 0.001).

The study aimed to compare and assess some of the quality characteristics (morphology, colour of the yolk, total carotenoid content and fatty acid profile) of eggs obtained from hens reared conventionally or in alternative system having access to pasture. Twenty eggs of each rearing system were analysed for the above characteristics. The eggs obtained from the layer reared under the alternative system were significantly heavier than the conventional ones, displayed higher diameters of the albumen and albumen index, as well as increased diameter and weight of the yolk. On the other hand, their shell thickness and Haugh units were lower when compared to the eggs from conventionally reared hens. The colour of the eggs from the alternative system was darker and they had lower values of L* and higher of a* in the yolk, corresponding to the significantly higher content of the total carotenoids in comparison to the eggs obtained from the hens reared conventionally. Furthermore, the eggs from the hens having access to pasture showed clear advantage in the fatty acid profile and the related lipid nutritional indices. In general, the rearing in alternative system reduced considerably the content of C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C16:1n-7 and C18:1n-9, as well as the saturated (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). On the other hand, with the exception of C20:3n-6, the contents of both individual and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were dramatically increased in the eggs from the hens reared in the alternative system. This led to favourably decreased values of n-6/n-3 ratio as well as values of both atherogenic (AI) and thrombogenic (TI) indices but augmented ratio between hypo-and hypercholesterolemic fatty acids.

The study aimed to examine the meat quality of chickens from a dual-purpose cross and its parent lines. The trial was conducted in the experimental poultry farm of the Institute of Animal Science-Kostinbrod, Bulgaria. The dual-purpose chickens were obtained by crossing female layers (Line L) and dual-purpose cocks (BB, based on Bresse Gauloise). At the age of 9 weeks the male chickens from the parent lines and the dual-purpose cross were slaughtered. Six chickens of each genotype were subjected to breast and thigh meat quality analysis. The crossbred chickens tended to have lower pH in breast but the values of this parameter were higher in their thighs. The BB line showed the poorest water-holding capacity (WHC) in both breast and thigh meat cuts. This line and the crossbreed showed lighter meat compared to the L line. Except the ash content of the breast and thigh meat that was higher in the BB line, the proximate composition did not differ between the examined lines and their cross. The L and dual-purpose chickens tended to have higher intramuscular fat (IMF) but lower protein in thigh meat than the BB line. The correlation analysis revealed clear relationships between the meat quality traits and the proximate composition, however they differed for the breast and thigh meat.