The Effect of Humic Substances on the Meat Quality in the Fattening of Farm Pheasants ( Phasianus colchicus )

Branislav Gálik, Cyril Hrnčár (), Martin Gašparovič, Michal Rolinec, Ondrej Hanušovský, Miroslav Juráček, Milan Šimko, Luboš Zábranský and Anton Kovacik
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Branislav Gálik: Institute of Nutrition and Genomics, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, SK-949 76 Nitra, Slovakia
Cyril Hrnčár: Institute of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, SK-949 76 Nitra, Slovakia
Martin Gašparovič: Slovak Breeders Union Bratislava, Krizna 44, 824 76 Bratislava, Slovakia
Michal Rolinec: Institute of Nutrition and Genomics, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, SK-949 76 Nitra, Slovakia
Ondrej Hanušovský: Institute of Nutrition and Genomics, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, SK-949 76 Nitra, Slovakia
Miroslav Juráček: Institute of Nutrition and Genomics, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, SK-949 76 Nitra, Slovakia
Milan Šimko: Institute of Nutrition and Genomics, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, SK-949 76 Nitra, Slovakia
Luboš Zábranský: Department of Animal Husbandry Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Studentska 1668, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Anton Kovacik: Institute of Applied Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, SK-949 76 Nitra, Slovakia

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 2, 1-10

Abstract: Background: The effects of humic substances (HSs) on the carcass characteristics and meat quality traits of breast and thigh muscles were studied. Methods: In total, 200 pheasants were allocated to 4 treatments, each containing 50 birds. The control birds were fed a diet without additives (0% HS); the other treatment birds were fed diets containing HSs at 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0% from 1 to 90 days of age. At the end of the experiment, several carcass characteristics were measured and breast and thigh muscle samples were taken to determine the composition of several nutrients by standard laboratory methods and procedures. Results: The carcass weights of both males and females increased significantly ( p < 0.05) in the 0.50 HS and 0.75 HS groups after supplementation with HSs. The same effect of humic substances in the 0.50 and 0.75 HS groups was found in the weight of breast and thighs ( p < 0.05). Significantly ( p < 0.05), the highest carcass yield in males and females was found in the 0.50 HS group. Conclusions: Feeding with a diet containing HSs can have a beneficial influence on the carcass parameters, decrease the crude fat content in the meat and change the profile of bioactive fatty acids in the breast and thigh muscles of broiler pheasants.

Keywords: pheasant; humic substances; carcass performance; meat quality; fatty acids (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: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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