Oxidative stability and total lipids on thigh and breast meat of broilers fed diets with two fat sources and supplemented with conjugated linoleic acid

Two hundred broiler chickens of 21 days of age were distributed in a completely randomized factorial arrangement 2×5 (two oil sources, i.e. soybean or canola oil and five levels of CLA supplementation, i.e. 0.0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75% and 1.00%). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dietary supplementation of broiler diets with CLA and oil sources on the lipid content and on the oxidative stability of chicken meat submitted to refrigeration or freezing storage temperatures. The use of canola oil and increasing CLA levels resulted in a linear reduction (P<0.05P<0.05) on the total lipids in breast meat. These results can explain a linear reduction (P<0.05P<0.05) observed in the malonaldehyde content of refrigerated and frozen meat of birds receiving canola oil. Birds receiving soybean oil and supplemented with CLA showed an abrupt reduction of total lipids on breast meat from 0.89 g/100 g at 0% CLA to 0.36 g/100 g at 0.5% CLA followed by a small increase at higher levels of CLA (P<0.05P<0.05). These observations may help to explain the reduction (P<0.05P<0.05) of oxidation in breast meat during frozen storage at 50 and 100 days as well as during cold storage at 5 °C.