Effect of diet supplementation of vitamin D before slaughter on serum and tissue calcium and its influence on broiler chicken meat quality

• Grant number: 09/14469-5
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: December 01, 2009 - November 30, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Production
• Principal researcher: Ariel Antonio Mendes
• Grantee: Ariel Antonio Mendes
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this study will to evaluate the potential of vitamin D supplementation in the form of D3 (cholecalciferol) and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OHD3) in the diet of broilers, days before slaughter, in order to improve the quality of chicken meat promoting increased tenderness. In Experiment 1, it will be two trials to test the better dosage these two forms of vitamin D. In each trial, it will utilized birds with 35 days age, supplemented daily with vitamin D (25-OHD3) diet with three different doses (1500, 2500 and 3500 IU / kg diet) for seven consecutive days. Blood samples are taken daily, starting two days before the administration of vitamin D (25-OHD3) 14 days, to determine the level of plasma calcium and to assess which of the treatments was observed the peak of plasma calcium, what day will be the same and how long will last the high levels of plasma calcium. In Experiment 2, it will be judged the best time of administration of vitamin D3 and 25-OHD3 before slaughter to achieve high levels of serum calcium by at least two days after the last administration. Therefore, will be assessed for best dose in three different periods according to the results of experiment 1. Thus, it determines which of the treatments will be the largest and most sustained surge of calcium and for how long this will remain at high levels considered to determine the optimal time of administration before slaughter at levels of security with respect to the amount of calcium. In Experiment 3, the experimental design will be completely randomized factorial scheme 5x3, with five deboning times (25 min, 2, 4, 6 and 24 hours post-mortem) and three levels of supplementation of vitamin D (control and the best time and dosage of vitamin D3 and 25-OHD3 of experiment 1 and 2). The birds will be slaughtered at 42 days, followed each time the bone boning and will be evaluated the following meat quality characteristics: pH, color, drip loss, gravimetric fragmentation index, cooking loss, shear force and sensory analysis. In Experiment 4, the experimental design is the will be completely randomized factorial scheme 4x3, with four aging time (zero, 24, 48 and 72 hours) and three levels of supplementation of vitamin D (control and better time and dosage of vitamin D3 and 25-OHD3 in experiment 1 and 2). At 42 days age, the birds will be slaughtered and the breasts are matured at a temperature of 2oC ± 1 ° C in BOD chamber and made the following analysis of quality: pH, color, drip loss, gravimetric fragmentation index, cooking loss, shear force and sensory analysis. (AU)