Wine grape pomace flour in broiler diets effects growth and some meat characteristics

Abstract

Context. Grape pomace maybe useful in broiler diets as a source of low cost antioxidants.

Aims. The objective of this work was to determine the effect of including high concentrations of wine-grape pomace flour (WGPF) in broiler chicken diets on productive parameters and antioxidant capacity of the meat.

Methods. WGPF of white (WGPF-W) and red (WGPF-R) grape varieties were nutritionally and chemically characterised. Then, 120 broiler chickens were allocated to three isoenergetic and isoproteic feeding treatments: 0% WGPF (Control), 20% WGPF-W and 20% WGPF-R.

Key results. WGPF-W had no effect on bodyweight, daily weight gain, feed intake or feed conversion ratio (FCR). However, FCR was higher for WGPF-R treatment at the end of the study (Day 42). Meanwhile, breast meat from WGPF-R treatment had the highest content of ether extract (P < 0,05), followed by WGPF-W and by control treatment, due to the addition of higher amounts of soy oil to those diets with WGPF to ensure an isoenergetic composition. Breast and leg meat, respectively, showed greater antioxidant capacity (mu M Trolox Eq/g) when WGPF-W (16.7 and 16.4) was fed, than the antioxidant capacity obtained for control (13.8 and 13.8) and WGPF-R (11.9 and 14.2) treatments.

Conclusions. Inclusion of 20% of WGPF-W increased antioxidant capacity of chicken meat by 17%, without decreasing productive parameters, provided the diets were made isoenergetic and isoproteic by adding soy oil.

Implications. The grape pomace flour could be useful in the diet of other animals.