Effects of Dietary Oils and α‐Tocopherol Supplementation on Lipid Composition and Stability of Broiler Meat

Abstract

ABSTRACT Broilers were fed diets containing oils of varying degrees of unsaturation, namely coconut oil, olive oil, linseed oil and partially hydrogenated soybean oil (HSBO), with and without α‐tocopherol supplementation. The different oils significantly (P<0.01) affected the fatty acid composition of the neutral lipids and, to a lesser extent, the fatty acid composition of the phopholipids. Fatty acid composition, in turn, influenced the oxidative stability of the meat during refrigerated and frozen storage. Meat from broilers fed olive oil or coconut oil was consistently more stable than meat from the linseed oil group. Dietary supplementation with α‐tocopherol significantly (P<0.01) improved the oxidative stability of the dark and white broiler meat during refrigerated and frozen storage compared to meat from the broilers fed HSBO.