1. Antioxidant and methyl donor effects of betaine in experimental animal models have recently been demonstrated. The present study was therefore designed to examine the antioxidant effects of betaine on the antioxidant status and meat quality of breast muscles in broilers. 2. Cobb broilers were randomly divided into Control, Methionine low, Methionine low plus betaine, and Betaine groups. 3. The activity of the main antioxidant enzyme (glutathione peroxidase) in the Betaine and the Methionine low plus betaine groups significantly increased compared to the Methionine low and Control groups. Catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were significantly higher in the Betaine group compared to the Methionine low group, and lipid peroxidation was significantly higher in the Control and the Methionine low groups. 4. The present study indicates that adding betaine (1 g/kg) to a diet deficient in methionine can significantly improve antioxidant defences and meat quality, decreasing lipid peroxidation in the breast muscles of broiler chickens.

https://lu.ac.ir/usersfiles/184773088-Betaine%20a%20promising%20antioxidant%20agent%20for.pdf

Betaine: a promising antioxidant agent for enhancement of broiler meat quality

Effect of coccidia challenge and natural betaine supplementation on performance, nutrient utilization, and intestinal lesion scores of broiler chickens fed suboptimal level of dietary methionine

Heat stress (HS) causes oxidative stress, which compromises broiler performance and meat quality. The aim of this study was to determine whether dietary antioxidants could be used as an amelioration strategy. Seventy-two day-old-male Ross-308 chicks were exposed to either thermoneutral or cyclical heat stress conditions. Diets were either control commercial diet (CON), CON plus betaine (BET), or with a combination of betaine, selenized yeast, and vitamin E (BET + AOX). Heat stress increased the rectal temperature (p < 0.001), respiration rate (p < 0.001), decreased blood pCO2 (p = 0.002), and increased blood pH (p = 0.02), which indicated the HS broilers had respiratory alkalosis. Final body weight was decreased by HS (p < 0.001), whereas it was improved with BET (p = 0.05). Heat stress reduced cooking loss (p = 0.007) and no effect on drip loss, while BET decreased the drip loss (p = 0.01). Heat stress reduced the myofibril fragmentation index (p < 0.001) and increased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (p < 0.001), while these were improved with the combination of BET + AOX (p = 0.003). In conclusion, BET overall improved growth rates and product quality in this small university study, whereas some additional benefits were provided by AOX on product quality in both TN and HS broilers.

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/8/9/336/pdf

Growth Performance and Characterization of Meat Quality of Broiler Chickens Supplemented with Betaine and Antioxidants under Cyclic Heat Stress.

Naila Chand1,*, Shabana Naz2, Hamza Maris1, Rifat Ullhah Khan1, Sarzamin Khan1 and Muhammad Subhan Qureshi1 1Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan 2Department of Zoology, GC University, Faisalabad, Pakistan Article Information Received 24 February 2017 Revised 24 March 2017 Accepted 31 March 2017 Available online 20 September 2017

Effect of betaine supplementation on the performance and immune response of heat stressed broilers.

An experiment was conducted using 720 one-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chickens to evaluate the effects of Astragalus membranaceus root powder (AMP), Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and antioxidant enzymes, and metabolites of blood and liver in broiler chickens. The six dietary treatments included a control that was a corn–soybean meal basal diet; basal diet supplemented with 120 mg/kg antibiotic; 350 mg/kg APS; or 5000, 10,000, or 15,000 mg/kg diet of AMP. Supplementation of 10,000 mg/kg AMP increased average daily gain and feed conversion rate of broilers in grower period (22–42 d) and over the entire experiment compared to basic diet. Responses of antioxidant status to dietary APS and AMP varied depending on the age of the broilers. Beneficial effects of AMP on growth and feed utilization of broilers could be obtained by inclusion of AMP at the rate of 10,000 mg/kg diet.

Effects of Astragalus membranaceus on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and antioxidant status of broiler chickens

Problem Statement: The efficacy of Methionine (Met) sparing effect of Betaine (BET) has been shown to be associated with dietary compositions, animal physiological stage and living conditions. This study was to determine the extent to which dietary Met could be replaced by BET in broiler chickens under the feeding conditions specific to Chinese poultry industry.Approach: A total of 900 day-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were fed three corn-soybean meal-based starter rations (d 1-21) and grower rations (d 22-42) for a total of 42 days. Met levels in the diets were: Diet 1, Met content at the recommended level (Control); diet 2, Met level at 85% of the Control supplemented with BET at the level of 400 (starter) or 300 (grower) mg kg-1 DM; Diet 3, Met level at 75% of the Control supplemented with BET at the level of 600 (starter) or 500 (grower) mg khg-1 DM. The broilers were raised in a temperature controlled house with 3 pens (replicates) per dietary treatment. Results: In general, treatment had no effect on body weight, feed intake or feed efficiency. Concentrations of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 in the serum of broilers fed Diet 3 were higher (p<0.05) than that of broilers of other treatments. Supplementation of BET at the level of replacing 25% of total Met increased (p<0.05) breast meat yield and protein content of breast meat and liver, but decreased (p<0.05) abdominal fat yield and ether extract content of liver. Conclusions/Recommendations: Supplementation of BET to replace up to 25% of total dietary Met did not affect the growth performance but improved the carcass quality of the broilers. BET could be used to spare 25% of the total Met in broiler diet that was formulated based on the Feeding Standard of China.

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Y. Wang

Papers

Effects of Betaine Supplementation to Methionine Deficient Diet on Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Broilers