Effect of dietary high-oleic acid and conventional sunflower seeds and their refined oils on fatty acid composition of adipose tissue and meat in broiler chickens

Abstract

The influence of different dietary fat source on performance, tissue fatty acid composition (abdominal fat, thigh and breast muscles) and abdominal fat melting point was evaluated in femaJe broiler chickens. Birds were red diets containing 80 g/kg of added fat by the inclusion ofhigh-oJeic acid sunflower secd (HOASS) and conventionaJ sunflower seed (CSS), their respective refined oiJs (HOASO and CSO) and lard during three weeks (from 2\ to 42 d of agc). Feed efficiency was significantly impaired by the inclusion ofHOASS and CSS in diet when compared with HOASO, CSO and lard. The levcls of the majar fatty acids (palmitic, oleic and linoleic) in cach animal tissue reflectcd the fatty acid profilc of the dietary fat (r2 >0.83). The linear regression analysis between fatty acid content ami mclting point of abdominal fat gave the highest coefficient of determination for thc saturated fatty acid contcnt (r2=0.80). It is concluded that the seeds ofhigh-oleic acid and conventional varieties orsunflower might be used in poultry feeding in arder to increase, rcspectively, monounsaturated and polyunsaturatcd fatty acid contents in both abdominal adipose tissue and intramuscular fato The feeding ofboth types of seeds had similar effects to their respective refined oils on the unsaturated to saturatcd rally acid ratio ofthe chicken tissues and on the melting point of abdominal fato NevcrtheJess, thcy showed a ncgative influence on fat firmness when compared with the dietary inclusion of lard.