Carcass, bone and meat quality characteristics of giriraja chicken fed reduced levels of organic and nano copper supplemented diets Noor Aminullah1, Prabhu T.M.*, Suresh B.N., Zahir Ahmadullah1, Sudharshan S., Azizi Mhammad Naeem1 Department of Animal Nutrition, Veterinary College, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fishery Sciences University, Hebbal, Bengaluru - 560024, India 1Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Afghanistan National Agricultural Sciences and Technology University, Kandahar-0093, Afghanistan *Correspondence: prabhutmann@gmail.com
Online published on 28 December, 2023. Abstract Copper (Cu) is an essential component of various metabolic enzymes and its inclusion in the poultry diets in the form of inorganic salts is a common practice. However, due to low bioavailability of Cu from inorganic sources, its high excretion to environment is a concern. This study was conducted to assess the reduced level of dietary organic and nano particle Cu prepared using CuSO4, on carcass, bone and meat quality characteristics of Giriraja chicken. A total of 420 day-old Giriraja chicks were randomly assigned to 7 treatment groups having 4 replicates each (15 chicks per replicate). The basal diets of chick (0-6 weeks) and grower phases (7-10 weeks) were supplemented with 20 and 30 ppm Cu, respectively from inorganic CuS04 as control (T1). The test diets T2, T3, and T4 were supplemented with 100, 75 and 50% of control from organic source (Cuproteinate) while diets T5, T6 and T7were supplemented with 75, 50 and 25% of control from Cu nanoparticles, respectively. At the end of the trial, two birds per replicate were slaughtered to study carcass, bone and meat quality characteristics. The weight of breast muscle, thigh muscle and thymus was higher (P<0.05) at 75% Cu nanoparticles supplemental level and calcium content of thigh bone was higher at 50% Cu nanoparticles inclusion level. The weight of de-feathered and dressed carcass, liver, heart, gizzard, spleen, bursa of Fabricius, abdominal fat and intestine were similar among different treatments. The moisture, crude protein and total ash of thigh muscle and weight, length, width, total ash and phosphorous content of thigh bone were also not affected due to reduced dietary Cu level supplemented from organic or nanoparticles forms. In conclusion, the dietary CuSO4, can be reduced up to 50 and 75% using organic and nanoparticle forms, respectively without compromising with the carcass, bone and meat quality characteristics. Top Keywords Carcass quality, Copper sulfate, Copper proteinate, Giriraja, Nanoparticles. Top |