Fatty Acid Deposition on Broiler Meat in Chickens Supplemented with Tuna Oil

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of feeding four levels of tuna oil on performance and fatty acid (FA) profiles of broiler chicken meat. 240 Ross broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 20 pens and divided into four treatments: 0%, 0.75%, 1%, and 1.25% of tuna oil. At 49 days, breast and legs-thighs muscles were processed for FA analysis. Concentrations of FA in legs and thighs meat were significantly higher when compared with breast meat. In both types of meats (breast and legs-thighs), the inclusion of 1.0% or 1.25% of tuna oil in the diet significantly increased (P < 0.05) the concentration of n-3 FA (especially docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids). Fat in broiler breast contained a proportion of 29% saturated FA (SFA): 36% monosaturated FA (MFA): 35% polyunsaturated FA (PUFA);while legs and thighs meat had a proportion of 28% SFA: 38% MFA: 33% PUFA. The addition of tuna oil in the broiler diet significantly reduced the deposition of SFA, MFA, and PUFA in breast meat, while in legs and thighs these reductions were less noticeable. The significant reduction in the concentration of n-6 PUFA and the increment of n-3 PUFA were more evident in breast than in legs and thighs, and with the addition of 1% and 1.25% of tuna oil. The results of the present study suggest a difference in FA deposition attributable to supplementation with tuna oil. The addition of tuna oil could be recommendable to increase n-3 PUFA in both broiler chicken breast and legs-thighs meats, providing a healthier and functional chicken meat to consumer.

Effect of Time and Fatty Acid Composition in Eggs of White Leghorn Hens Supplemented with Tuna Oil

The study evaluated the effect of time and fatty acid (FA) composition in eggs of laying hens supplemented with tuna oil (TO). Two hundred White Leghorn hens 30-week were divided into 5 treatments with 4 replicates of 10 birds each. Treatments were assigned randomly and consisted of 0%, 0.75%, 1.50%, 2.25% and 3% TO in commercial sorghum-soybean meal diets, in which the soybean oil was partially replaced. The experiment was conducted for 90 days. At days 28, 56 and 84 of the experiment, 10 eggs per replicate were collected for chemical analysis. Feed intake, egg production rate, egg weight, and feed conversion were not influenced by dietary treatment. FA content was significantly altered (P < 0.05) by TO, showing a progressive increase in egg n-3 FA (especially docosahexaenoic [DHA] and eicosapentaenoic [EPA] acids) when TO was added. Levels of EPA and DHA were higher (P < 0.05) in the egg lipids of TO fed hens than those in the control group. This was correlated (P < 0.05) with the concentration of TO in the diet. However, no significant differences were observed either in egg weight or percent of egg lay between groups. There was a high correlation (P < 0.05) between TO inclusion level in the diet and the incorporation of EPA (r = 0.96) or DHA (r = 0.92) into the egg yolk and an overall decrease in n-6 FA. There was a high correlation (P < 0.05) between TO inclusion level and the incorporation of linoleic acid (LA, r = -0.95) or arachidonic acid (AA, r = -0.96) into the egg yolk. The highest incorporation (P < 0.05) of total n-3 FA content in eggs was obtained with 3% TO/kg. This increase was proportional to TO inclusion levels in the diets (r = 0.95). The results indicate that the n-3 FA content in eggs can be increased by dietary supplementation with TO, and that TO can serve as a reasonable alternative feed ingredient in layer diets to produce a healthier choice of egg.