EFFECTS OF REPLACING DIETARY VITAMIN MINERAL PREMIX WITH COMPOSITE LEAF MEAL ON LIPID PEROXIDATION OF BROILER CHICKEN MEAT DURING STORAGE

Abstract

Effects of replacing dietary vitamin mineral premix (VMP) with composite leaf meal CLM) on lipid peroxidation of broiler chicken meat during storage was assessed in this study. Four leaves (Celosia argentea, Telfairia occidentalis, Moringa oleifera, Vernonia amygdalina) purposively selected based on
their established phytochemical composition, were air-dried to constant weight. They were individually milled to powder and combined in equal proportions to a composite test sample. Diets containing 0, 0.125, 0.25, and 0.375% levels of commercial VmP were formulated and the composite sample incorporated to replace the dietary VmP at 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5% of diets. In an experiment lasting six weeks, one-day old Arbor Acre broiler chicks (n=936) were randomly allotted to 13 dietary treatments. Each treatment was replicated eight times and a replicate comprised nine chicks. At week six of the experiment, eight chicks per treatment were selected, sacrificed and carefully dissected into primal cuts. Breast meat was collected and degree of  lipid oxidation determined as TBARS (mg/100g) at days 2, 4 and 7 of storage. However, at day 2, effects of combination (LMC+VMP) on TBARS differed significantly (P<0.05). The BC meat from Diet 1 with the combination of 1.5% LMC + 0% VMP had significantly higher (P<0.05) TBARS (mg/100g) of 4.21 compared with those from diets 3 (1.7), 4 (1.54), 5 (1.68) and 7 (1.48). Dietary combination of VMP and LMC was only beneficial to initial storage in the first two days. The meat had the same levels of peroxidation thereafter, irrespective of VMP and LMC combination.