This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary resveratrol (Res) supplementation on serum parameters, meat quality and muscle antioxidant status of broilers under heat stress (HS). A total of 270 21-day-old male Cobb broilers were randomly assigned to three treatment groups with six replicates of 15 birds each. The three treatment groups were as follows: the control group, in which birds were reared at 22 ± 1°C, and the HS and HS + Res (400 mg/kg) groups, in which birds were reared at 33 ± 1°C for 10 h (08.00-18.00 h) and 22 ± 1°C for the rest of the time. Compared with birds in the control group, birds in the HS group exhibited increased serum corticosterone (CORT) and triacylglycerol contents, L*, drip loss and muscle malondialdehyde content, and decreased serum glucose content, pH24 h , muscle total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activities (P < 0.05). Compared with birds in the HS group, birds in HS + Res group exhibited increased serum glucose content, a*, pH24 h , muscle T-AOC and CAT activities, and decreased serum CORT and triacylglycerol contents, L*24 h , drip loss and muscle malondialdehyde content (P < 0.05). In conclusion, Res beneficially protects against HS-impaired meat quality of broilers through regulating muscle antioxidant status.
Keywords: antioxidant status; broiler; heat stress; meat quality; resveratrol.
© 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.