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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Prebiotics are non-digestible feed ingredients that improve the immune system. OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to assess the changes caused by the addition of prebiotics to the feed on carcass characteristics and also chemical composition, physical characteristics, color, texture, and fatty acid profile of chicken pectoral muscles containing Eimeria species. METHODS: Forty-one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens were assigned to four treatments, including negative control (NC), positive control (PC), positive medicated with coxidine (COX), and positive medicated with prebiotics (PRE). After 42 days, carcass characteristics of the chickens were recorded, and also physical characteristics, chemical composition, color, texture, and fatty acid analysis of breast meat were determined. RESULTS: Infection with Eimeria species diminished carcass characteristics. PRE had higher final body weight, hot carcass weight, and breast and thigh muscle weights. Drip loss, pH, cooking loss, fat, ash, dry matter, and texture properties of broilers’ breast meat did not show any significant differences among the experimental groups. Dietary supplementation with prebiotics increased the crude protein content of breast meat. Infection with Eimeria species decreased the a-value of breast meat. Dietary supplementation with prebiotics decreased the amount of fatty acids 16:1 and 18:1 and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) compared to NC. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary supplementation with prebiotics is a promising strategy with the potential to compensate for the negative effects of infection with Eimeria spp. on carcass characteristics, protein content, and color of breast meat of broiler chickens.
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