Quantitative 4-Hexylresorcinol Determination in Muscle Tissue of Broiler Chickens Receiving This Compound in Feeding Diet and the Influence of Its Residual Concentrations on the Microbiological Characteristics of Poultry Products

Abstract

Introduction. Plant-derived compounds with antimicrobial activity (phytobiotics) are a relevant alternative to traditional antibiotics in livestock and poul-try farming. One of the promising phytobiotics are alkylresorcinols - a large group of phenolic lipids, among which 4-hexylresorcinol has the most pro-nounced antimicrobial activity. Goal. To assess the possibility of 4-hexylresorcinol accumulation in muscle tissue of broiler chickens that received this compound as an additive to the basic diet, with an evaluation of the effect of its residual concentrations on microbiological indicators of meat quality. Material and Methods. Chemically synthesized 4-hexylresorcinol (CAS 136-77-6) with a purity of 98% was used in the study. Experimental groups of Arbor Acres broiler chickens received this compound as an additive to the basic diet for 35 days at doses of 62.5, 125 and 250 mg per 1 kg of feed. The quantitative determination of 4-hexylresorcinol in the muscle tissue of broiler chickens was carried out by high-performance chromatography with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometric detection on a liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer LCMS-8050 (Shimadzu Corporation, Japan). Microbial contamina-tion of muscle tissue immediately after slaughter and after 5 days of storage at +4°C was analyzed in accordance with national quality standards. Results. Validation of an HPLC-MS/MS method for the quantitative determination of 4-hexylresorcinol in broiler chicken muscle tissue established a linear range of 50 - 1000 ng/g with deviations no more than ±15% between the nominal and experimentally detected concentrations of this compound. Analy-sis of biosamples from broiler chickens fed with 4-hexylresorcinol supplement showed the possibility of its accumulation in the range from 50 to 200 ng per 1 gram of muscle tissue with maximum values of 124.4-194.5 ng/g in the experimental group receiving this compound at a dose of 125 mg per 1 kg of feed. The presence of 4-hexylresorcinol in broiler chicken muscles resulted in suppression of mesophilic aerobic and facultative-anaerobic microor-ganisms in post-slaughter products, which was most pronounced in samples with the maximum accumulation of this compound. Conclusion. The study results indicate the possibility of 4-hexylresorcinol accumulation in poultry products due to its use as a feed supplement. This observation corresponds to the inclusion of 4-hexylresorcinol in the EAEU Customs Union list of chemical compounds permitted for use in the food indus-try, but requires further study of its migration along food chains, taking into account the multiple variants of biological activity of alkylresorcinols.