The Effects of Mineral Supplementation in Rapeseed Cake Diet on Thyroid Function and Meat Quality in Broiler Chickens

Tamás Tóth, Rita Éva Horváth (), Ottó Dóka, Mihály Kovács and Hedvig Fébel
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Tamás Tóth: Agricultural and Food Research Centre, Széchenyi István University, 9026 Győr, Hungary
Rita Éva Horváth: Albert Kázmér Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Széchenyi István University, 9200 Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary
Ottó Dóka: Department of Physics and Chemistry, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Széchenyi István University, 9026 Győr, Hungary
Mihály Kovács: Albert Kázmér Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Széchenyi István University, 9200 Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary
Hedvig Fébel: Department of Obstetrics and Farm Animal Medicine Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, 1078 Budapest, Hungary

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-16

Abstract: Rapeseed is a high-quality protein source; however, its quality primarily depends on the variety, origin, and processing method. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a mineral supplement (“Peelko”; 27% Ca, 3.5% Mg, 800 mg/kg Fe) in terms of whether it is suitable for reducing the remaining antinutritional substances in cold-pressed rapeseed cake, thereby improving the nutrient content and digestibility of rapeseed. The experiment was carried out with 600 Ross-308 broilers divided into three feeding groups: the control diet contained extracted soybean meal, the R treatment included 10–15% cold-pressed rapeseed cake (in grower and finisher phases), and the R+ treatment consisted of the mineral supplement in addition to the cold-pressed rapeseed cake. R+ had a beneficial effect on the FCR in the grower and finisher feeding phases; moreover, it increased the weight of thyroid glands and the T3 and T4 hormone levels in the blood serum to a lesser extent than R when compared to C ( p < 0.05). Diet-specific changes could be observed through the histological examination of thyroid glands, where the acini became larger when the unsupplemented cold-pressed rapeseed cake was fed (R group). Using the mineral supplement (R+ diet) decreased the acinus diameter compared to the R diet, with a similar value to that observed in control birds. The protein content in the breast and fat content in the thigh showed milder changes in R+ than R, compared to C ( p < 0.05). The relative ratio of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids narrowed in both R and R+ meat samples compared to C ( p < 0.05). R+ may have a more favorable effect on oxidation processes according to the better MDA values in fresh meat ( p < 0.001) and samples after 1–2 months of storage ( p < 0.05) than R when compared with C. The negative modifications in the color parameters (L*, a*, and b*) and the organoleptic properties of the meat were less significant with R+ than R, compared to the control ( p < 0.05). According to the results of this study, the R+ treatment was able to reduce the antinutritional effects of rapeseed, as evident from the properties of the resulting animal products.

Keywords: rapeseed cake; mineral supplement; broilers; thyroid function; meat quality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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