Background: Lipid peroxidation is the cause of declining the meat quality. Natural antioxidants plays a vital role in
enhancing the stability and quality of meat. The supplementation of natural antioxidants in feed decreases lipid
peroxidation and improves the stability of meat.
Methods: The present research was conducted to determine the effect of α-lipoic acid, α-tocopherol and wheat
germ oil on the status of antioxidants, quality and lipid stability of broiler meat. One day old male broilers were fed
with different feeds containing antioxidants i.e. natural (wheat germ oil) and synthetic α-tocopherol and α-lipoic
acid during the two experimental years.
Results: The feed treatments have significant variation on the body weight and feed conversion ratio (FCR) while
having no influence on the feed intake. The broilers fed on wheat germ oil (natural α-tocopherol) gained maximum
body weight (2451.97 g & 2466.07 g) in the experimental years 2010–11 & 2011–12, respectively. The higher total
phenolic contents were found in the broilers fed on wheat germ oil plus α-lipoic acid in breast (162.73±4.8 mg
Gallic acid equivalent/100 g & 162.18±4.5 mg Gallic acid equivalent/100 g) and leg (149.67±3.3 mg Gallic acid
equivalent/100 g & 146.07±3.2 mg Gallic acid equivalent/100 g) meat during both experimental years. Similar trend
was observed for the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP). The
production of malondialdehydes in the breast and leg meat increased with progressive increase in the time period.
The deposition of α-tocopherol (AT) and α-lipoic acid (ALA) contents were found to be higher in the broilers fed on
wheat germ oil plus α-lipoic acid in breast and leg meat during the both experimental years.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the combination of wheat germ oil and α-lipoic acid has more beneficial for stability
and the quality of the broiler meat and more work should be needed in future for the bio-evaluation of this kind of
functional meat in humans.