Content of amino acids and biogenic amines in stored meat as a result of a broiler diet supplemented with β-alanine and garlic extract

by Selleckchem | Feb 07 2024

Poultry meat is a highly esteemed product among consumers. However, the emphasis on increasing body weight has led to a rise in the proportion of rapidly shrinking fibers, adversely affecting the quality and shelf life of poultry meat. With a growing awareness of dietetics among consumers, there is an increasing challenge to produce chicken meat that is not only free of antibiotics but also beneficial for dietary and health reasons. Biogenic amines (BA) can serve as indicators of meat freshness and quality. While they play vital roles in the body, excessive consumption of BA can have toxic and carcinogenic effects. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of supplementing feed with garlic extract and β-alanine (β-Ala) on the formation of BA and amino acid (AA) levels in the breast and leg muscles of chickens stored under aerobic chilling conditions. The muscles were obtained from chickens fed with garlic extract and β-Ala in quantities of 0.5 and 2% for each additive, as well as 0.5 and 2% of their combination. Analyses were conducted on d 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 of storage. β-Ala supplementation increased the proportion of this AA in breast (P < 0.01) and leg muscles (P < 0.01), along with a rise in the proportion of nonessential AA (NEAA; sum of aspartic, aspartic acid, glutamic, glutamic acid, serine, β-Ala, and proline) (P < 0.01). The levels of BA changed during storage in breast and leg muscles (P < 0.001). The applied diet significantly influenced the formation of putrescine (P = 0.030), phenylethylamine (P = 0.003), agmatine (P = 0.025), and total BA (P < 0.001) in breast muscles. On the 10 d of storage, the breast muscles exhibited the lowest BA index (BAI) in the group, with a diet supplemented with 0.5% garlic extract and 0.5% β-Ala (P < 0.05). The leg muscles showed a similar BA trend as the breast muscles. These supplements may be utilized in production to augment the protein content of chicken muscles and potentially decrease the BAI index during meat storage.

Comments:

This study seems to highlight the potential benefits of supplementing chicken feed with garlic extract and β-alanine to positively influence the quality and shelf life of poultry meat. The findings suggest that these additives could impact the formation of biogenic amines (BA) and amino acid (AA) levels in chicken breast and leg muscles during storage under aerobic chilling conditions.

It's interesting to note that β-alanine supplementation led to an increase in the proportion of β-alanine itself in both breast and leg muscles, as well as a rise in nonessential amino acids (NEAA). This could potentially contribute to enhancing the protein content and quality of the chicken muscles.

The changes in BA levels during storage in both breast and leg muscles indicate that the applied diet significantly influenced the formation of specific biogenic amines such as putrescine, phenylethylamine, agmatine, and total BA. Notably, the group supplemented with 0.5% garlic extract and 0.5% β-alanine exhibited the lowest BA index (BAI) in breast muscles after 10 days of storage, suggesting a potential positive impact of this combination on mitigating biogenic amine formation during meat storage.

This research could be beneficial for poultry production by not only potentially augmenting protein content in chicken muscles but also by decreasing the formation of biogenic amines, which are indicators of meat freshness and quality. It aligns with the growing consumer demand for poultry products that are free of antibiotics and offer additional health benefits.

Further studies and trials might be needed to validate these findings across different conditions and breeds, but the results here suggest a promising avenue for improving poultry meat quality and shelf life through dietary interventions.