Effects of lycopene on the growth performance, meat quality, and antioxidant capacity of broiler chickens challenged with aflatoxin B1

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary lycopene (LYC) supplementation on the growth performance, meat quality, and antioxidant capacity of breast muscle in aflatoxin B-1 (AFB(1))-challenged broilers. A total of 192 1-day-old healthy Arbor Acres broilers were randomly assigned to 3 treatments, each with 8 replicates (8 broilers per replicate). The broilers of the three treatments were fed a basal diet (control), a basal diet supplemented with 100 mu g/kg AFB(1) (CA), and a basal diet supplemented with 100 mu g/kg AFB(1) and 200 mg/kg LYC (CAL). The results demonstrated that the AFB(1) diet increased the feed-to-gain (F/G) ratio (p < 0.05), yellowness and shear force of breast muscle (p < 0.05), and protein carbonyl (PC) content (p < 0.05) while decreasing the average daily gain (ADG) (p < 0.05), redness of breast muscle (p < 0.05), glutathione peroxidase activity (p < 0.05), and ability to clear OH from breast muscle (p < 0.05) in comparison to the control group. Dietary LYC supplementation significantly decreased the F/G ratio (p < 0.05), yellowness and shear force (p < 0.05), and the content of PC and hydrogen peroxide (p < 0.05) while significantly increasing the ADG (p < 0.05), redness of breast muscle (p < 0.05), and ability of breast muscle to clear ABTS(+) (p < 0.05) compared to the CA diet. In conclusion, LYC can alleviate the negative impacts of AFB(1) on the growth performance, meat quality, and antioxidant capacity of breast muscle in broilers.

Automated summary

This study found that LYC can alleviate the negative impacts of AFB(1) on the growth performance, meat quality, and antioxidant capacity of broilers' breast muscle.