835
Effects of Betaine on Growth Performance，Carcass Characteristics and Meat Quality of Broilers
This study was to evaluate the effects of betaine on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of broilers. A total of 240 1-day-old healthy Arbor Acres male broilers were randomly allotted to 4 groups with 6 replicates per group and 10 birds per replicate by a single-factor completely randomized design. The four diets included a basal diet and 3 experimental diets supplemented with 0.05%, 0.10% and 0.20% betaine, respectively. Birds were slaughtered at 42 days old. The results showed that 0.20% betaine supplementation significantly increased ADG of broilers by 6.53% (P<0.05), but did not significantly effect ADFI and F/G (P>0.05), compared with the control group. Betaine supplementation at the 0.20% level improved breast muscle percentage 9.23% and decreased the values of drip loss 36.36% in breast muscle of broilers (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in dressing percentage, eviscerated yield percentage and thigh muscle percentage between control group and experimental groups (P>0.05). Supplementing betaine of 0.05%, 0.10% and 0.20% in diets resulted in significant increase of IMP contents of 13.94%, 17.94% and 12.10%, and increase of IMF content of 44.70%、42.92% and 53.14% in breast muscle of broilers, compared with the control group, respectively （P＜0.05）. And the IMF content of 0.20% betaine group was significantly higher than that in 0.05% and 0.10% betaine supplementation groups（P＜0.05）. The IMF content in thigh muscle of broilers in 0.05%, 0.10% and 0.20% betaine supplementation group were improved 13.46%、28.53% and 13.75% than that in control group, respectively（P＜0.05）. The content of IMF of 0.10% betaine supplementation group was significantly higher than that in 0.05 and 0.20% betaine group（P＜0.05）. In conclusion, supplementing 0.20% betaine in diet could significantly improve ADG, carcass characteristics and meat quality of broiler, with an exception of higher IMF content in thigh muscle in 0.10% betaine supplementation group.
Keywords:
betaine, carcass characteristic, meat quality
Table
Treatment |
control |
0.05%betaine |
0.10%betaine |
0.20%betaine |
P value |
ADFI(g/d) |
104.26±0.83 |
104.76±5.85 |
103.31±4.18 |
104.13±2.44 |
0.335 |
ADG(g/d) |
58.39±1.63a |
60.22±1.47ab |
57.73±4.22a |
62.47±1.03b |
0.029 |
F/G |
1.84±0.14 |
1.74±0.11 |
1.79±0.10 |
1.73±0.02 |
0.224 |