Complete replacement of supplemental dl-methionine by betaine affects meat quality and amino acid contents in broilers

• Published in: Animal feed science and technology Vol. 212; pp. 63 - 69
• Main Authors: Fu, Q., Leng, Z.X., Ding, L.R., Wang, T., Wen, C., Zhou, Y.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.02.2016
• Subjects: Betaine; Broiler; dl-Methionine; Meat quality; Oxidative status; Replacement; WHC; TAA; Betaine; SOD; Replacement; MDA; Oxidative status; GPX; dl-Methionine; Broiler; Meat quality
• ISSN: 0377-8401; 1873-2216
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2015.12.004

•Betaine replacement for dl-Met did not affect broiler growth or carcass traits.•Complete replacement of dl-Met by betaine affected meat quality.•Complete replacement of dl-Met by betaine reduced some muscle amino acid contents. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dl-methionine (dl-Met) replacement with betaine on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, muscle oxidative status and amino acid contents of broilers. A total of 192 one-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly divided into four groups with six replicates of eight chicks, receiving a control basal diet containing 1.4 and 0.8g/kg dl-Met (total Met: 5.0 and 4.2g/kg during 1−21 and 22−42 days, respectively), or one of the test diets supplemented with betaine to replace dl-Met at 25% (B25), 50% (B50) and 100% (B100) level, respectively. There were no differences in growth performance or carcass characteristics of broilers among groups. Compared with the control, B100 diet resulted in lower (p<0.05) glutathione peroxidase activity, pH value and water holding capacity of breast muscle (p<0.05). Lysine and aspartic acid contents in breast muscle were reduced (p<0.05) by all betaine groups. The B25 and B100 diet decreased phenylalanine content, and B50 and B100 diet decreased leucine and total amino acid contents (p<0.05). The B100 diet also decreased (p<0.05) the contents of threonine and serine. In addition, the B25 and B50 diet increased (p<0.05) cysteine content compared with the control and B100 diet. It was concluded that replacement of dl-Met by betaine had no effect on growth performance or carcass characteristics, but decreased meat quality and some muscle amino acid contents in a dose-dependent manner, especially at 100% level.