Abstract
The current study was performed to investigate the influence of probiotics or antibiotic on breast quality characteristics of broiler chickens that were subjected to Salmonella challenge. Two hundred, one-day-old Cobb 500 chicks were allocated in five experimental treatments for 42 d. Ten cages of birds received one of the following treatments: T1=positive control (+CONT), unsupplemented, unchallenged; T2=negative control (-CONT), unsupplemented, challenged; T3=supplemented with antibiotic neoxyval (NEOX), challenged; T4=supplemented with probiotic Toyocerin (TOYO), challenged; and T5=supplemented with probiotic CloSTAT™ (CLOS), challenged. Birds in treatments T2 to T5 were challenged with 3x10
9
CFU/mL of Salmonella enterica subsp. typhimurium on day 16. Nine birds per treatment were sampled at the end of the trial for breast characteristics. Overall, pH and temperature values of the breast muscle were similar among all groups tested. Cooking loss results indicated that breasts from T3 birds had the highest degree of shrinkage upon cooking while those of the probiotic group had similar control values (P<0.0001). Probiotic supplementation reduced the extent of destruction of myofibrils caused by homogenisation (P<0.0001). Warner-Bratzler shear test and texture profile analysis showed that neither treatments nor Salmonella challenge had any negative impact on texture or sensory attributes of chicken breast. In conclusion, results show that breast characteristics were better when probiotics were supplemented in the diets.