Decoding halal and jhatka slaughter: novel insights into welfare and protein biomarkers in slow‐growing broiler chicken

Abstract

BACKGROUNDThe first evidence of blood biochemical and proteomic changes in slow‐growing broiler chicken subjected to ritual slaughter like halal (HS) and jhatka (JS) without stunning and commercial slaughter with electrical stunning (ES) was decoded.RESULTSSignificant stress indicators like cortisol and triiodothyronine were markedly elevated in JS birds, whereas increased (P < 0.05) levels of lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase were observed in JS and ES birds. Two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled to MALDI‐TOF MS elucidated the overabundance of glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase and l‐lactate dehydrogenase that are positively correlated with stress in JS broilers. Bioinformatic analysis explored the multifaceted landscape of molecular functions.CONCLUSIONThe study has uncovered that ritual slaughter performed without stunning against commercial slaughter with ES practices elicit varying levels of stress as evident from blood biochemistry and novel protein markers. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.