Giblets and abdominal fat of pomegranate seed oil fed chickens as a source of bioactive fatty acids

Abstract

The aim of present study was to determine whether chickens' (broilers Ross 308, n = 180, sex ratio 1:1) diet modification with different doses of grape or pomegranate seed oil will favourable change fatty acids and cholesterol content in selected giblets (liver and heart) or wastes (adipose tissue). It was also verify whether generated changes would make the giblets and wastes more valuable as dietary components or by-products for food industry. From 22 to 42 day of life, five diets were administered to chickens. Control grower diet (CON) contained 5% of soy oil, whereas in the experimental grower diets part of soy oil (1.5% or 2%) was replaced with specific amount of grape or pomegranate seed oil (GRAP 1.5; GRAP 2.0; POM 1.5; POM 2.0 respectively). Fatty acids and cholesterol content were determined with gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection. Pomegranate seed oil improved fatty acids profile more favourably than grape seed oil, which makes it a valuable additive in chickens' feeding. Abdominal fat of pomegranate seed oil supplemented chickens appeared to be the richest sources of rumenic acid and n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which allows to suggest its use in manufacturing of meat products to obtain foodstuffs rich in those essential nutrients. In principal component analysis (PCA), two principal components: PC1 and PC2, which were enough to explain 29.91% of variance of initial variables, allowed to a good separation of chickens fed with both doses of pomegranate seed oil from animals from control and grape seed oil fed groups.Because poultry addresses all nutritional, institutional and consumer requirements, enrichment of giblets in rumenic acid by pomegranate seed oil incorporation into chickens' diet may provide a valuable dietary source of bioactive fatty acids for consumers, especially of low-income countries. K E Y W O R D Sabdominal fat, chicken, conjugated fatty acids, giblets, grape seed oil, pomegranate seed oil, rumenic acid | INTRODUC TI ONFoods derived from animals are rich source of nutrients for humans, especially proteins, iron, zinc, vitamin B12, fat-soluble vitamins and biologically active fatty acids (FA). However, present dietary recommendations counsel the limited consumption of animal fat, replacing them with vegetable oils and choosing low-fat meats (Slavin, 2012).Red meat, which refers to all types of mammalian muscle meat, is also of special concern as there is evidence of increasing the risk of colorectal cancer (World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research, 2018). For this reason, World Cancer Research Fund recommends limitation in red meat consumption to no more than three portions per week per capita, which is an equivalent to about 350 to 500 g. However, other foods of animal origin, like fish and poultry, are recommended as good substituents of red meat (World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research, 2018). Poultry is characterized by high protein of high biological value, high minerals and vitamins and low collagen and fat,