Astaxanthin is added to food to help improve chicken meat color

Three experiments were performed to evaluate the potential of Phaffia rhodozyma, a yeast containing high levels of astaxanthin (Ax), with or without cell wall cracking, to change meat color in broiler chickens.  Experimental diets supplemented with untreated Phaffia yeast or cracked yeast to provide up to 15, 20, and 30 ppm astaxanthin were fed to 4- or 5-week-old chickens for 14 or 21 days.  Diets supplemented with Phaffia yeast did not affect broiler performance or edible meat yield.  Regarding the color analysis of edible meat, for abdominal and skin adipose tissues by Minolta reflectance colorimetry, the brightness (L* value) and yellowness (b* value) of the tissues are not significantly affected by yeast-supplemented diets.  However, the redness (a* value) of all measured tissues was significantly increased by the yeast-supplemented diet.  Efficiency is enhanced by supplementing the broiler feed with decomposed yeasts in proportion to the astaxanthin concentration in the diet;  Astaxanthin was detected in edible meat and liver at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 1.1 μ g/g tissue, and the concentration largely depended on the astaxanthin concentration in the diet.  These results suggest that cell-wall cracked Phaffia yeast containing high concentrations of Astaxanthin may be a useful source of astaxanthin for modifying the color of meat, thus satisfying consumer preferences regarding the quality of meat. poultry.

Changing chicken color with astaxanthin

NANOCMM TECHNOLOGY

DESCRIBE

Food appearance, including color, is the main concern of consumers in the market. For poultry meat, skin color is considered the primary quality issue for consumers’ final evaluation of the product in a time when most poultry meat is purchased whole. Lipstein [1] considered the introduction of several factors into meat quality, especially related to skin pigmentation, in broiler chickens. With the recent increase in fillet consumption in developed countries, the color of breast and thigh meat has attracted the attention of consumers involved in choosing raw meat products [2, 3]. This, especially in Japan, is evidenced by recent consumer preference for branded quality meats including native Japanese chicken breeds, the meat of which has unique characteristics. is a fillet with a dark and slightly red color [4].
Froning [3] examined many factors of live poultry production related to poultry meat color. These include genetics, environment
poultry housing conditions, pre-slaughter environment, slaughter and chilling conditions, processing and storage conditions, and diet. Since meat color is mainly determined by heme pigments in muscle, such as myoglobin, hemoglobin and cytochrome c, and muscle myoglobin concentration is considered to be purely genetic [3, 5, 6 ], the dietary color of meat has received relatively little attention except for a few articles describing certain changes in meat color due to fasting [7] and nitrite supplementation [8].
However, the growth of dietary meat color manipulation could become a focus for animal scientists as poultry producers try to appeal to more consumers. A red-pigmented yeast, Phaffia rhodozyma, contains high concentrations of astaxanthin and has been used as an excellent source of nutritional pigment to produce pink flesh in salmon [9, 10]. Review of our previous papers [11, 12, 13], showed that the addition of Phaffia yeast (on a ppm basis) to layer diets improved egg yolk color by enhancing red, we were interested in whether Phaffia yeast improved the pigmentation of eggs. broiler meat. Therefore, we report here the results of studies examining meat pigmentation and tissue carotenoid concentrations in broilers fed diets containing Phaffia yeast graded with or without cell wall dehiscence. planing.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

CHICKENS AND DIET

Chicks were obtained from a commercial hatchery at 1 day of age. They were placed in electrically heated batteries in Experiment 1 and on the floor in Experiments 2 and 3, and were provided with water and a commercial early stage diet (0 to 3 weeks of age) and processed. late stage diet (after 3 weeks of age) libitum intake before the start of each experimental treatment. At the beginning of each experiment, chicks were selected from a 1.5 times larger population to achieve uniformity in body weight among the chicks. In experiment 1, the starting commercial diet (ME, 3,150 kcal/kg; CP, 22.0%) and the final diet (ME, 3,150 kcal/kg; CP, 18.0%), in which Yellow corn is the main grain, used as a basic diet. For Experiments 2 and 3, a low-carotenoid diet and a standard diet were provided, respectively (Table 1). Chickens always had free access to test food and water.
EXPERIMENT 1
Sixteen 4-week-old male broiler chickens (Ross), each weighing 1.13 ± 0.1 kg, were randomly assigned to two groups of 8 chickens and kept in cages with wire mesh bottoms under controlled temperature conditions. controlled (24 ± 1°C) and continuous. light. They were fed a commercial starter diet for 14 days supplemented or not with 1.21% (w/w) Phaffia yeast (untreated). The yeast supplemented diet provides 20 ppm astaxanthin
EXPERIMENT 2
Three hundred and thirty-six 5-week-old female (Cobb) chicks weighing an average of 1.70 ± 0.05 kg were randomly assigned to two groups of 168 chicks with three replicates of 56 chicks each. The birds were raised on solid floors in a house without windows. They were fed for 21 days a low-carotenoid diet (Table 1) with or without supplementation with 1.21% (w/w) Phaffia yeast (untreated). The presence of yeast provided 20 ppm of astaxanthin

TABLE 1. Experimental diet composition

EXPERIMENT 3
Four hundred and eighty 5-week-old female broiler chickens (Cobb) weighing an average of 1.76 ± 0.06 kg were randomly assigned to four groups of 120 birds with four replicates of 30 birds each. The birds were housed in the same manner as in Experiment 2. They were fed a standard diet (Table 1) for 21 days. One group was used as a control without the addition of Ax. The remaining three groups received either a diet containing untreated Phaffia yeast [0.6% (w/w)] to provide 15 ppm Astaxanthin or a diet containing decellularized Phaffia yeast [0.6 and 1. .2% (w/w)] to provide 15 and 30 ppm astaxanthin, respectively.
PHAFFIA MEN
The yeast, Phaffia rhodozyma, fermented in a jar, was freeze-dried at room temperature. The chemical composition of yeast has been described in a previous article [11]. The total carotenoid and astaxanthin concentrations of the yeast used in both Experiments 1 and 2 were 2,524 and 1,646 ppm, respectively. Those used in Experiment 3 were 3,717 and 2,435 ppm, respectively. To prepare cell-wall cracked yeast, Phaffia yeast is mechanically ground into a fine powder and cooled to room temperature as quickly as possible.
MEASUREMENT
Body weight and feed consumption of the chickens were recorded weekly. At the end of Experiment 1, all birds were bled, and the pectoral muscles (Pectoralis major and Pectoralis minor) and thigh muscles were dissected and weighed. In experiments 2 and 3, all birds suffered bleeding from carotid artery cutting. Hair removal is performed using a free-action picker after heating under a temperature of approximately 60°C. The head and shank are removed, and the remaining carcasses are refrigerated for 24 hours before removing the meat and tissue. Breast meat (large and small breasts), thigh muscles, wings, liver, and belly fat were dissected and weighed. Edible meat percentage (sum of breast and thigh meat) was calculated based on carcass weight.
ANALYSIS
The color of each sample was determined using a Minolta reflectance colorimeter [14] and reported according to the CIE (Commission Internationale de Enluminure) system values of L*, a* and b*. To complete the determination of meat color consistently, colorimetry was performed on a fixed portion of breast and thigh meat, belly fat, and breast skin, respectively, for each experiment. Meat samples (great tits, small tits and Sartorius) and liver samples were used for extraction and determination of carotenoid and Astaxanthin concentrations. Briefly, samples were minced with 0.1 M 1.6 times (w/v) 0.1 M NH4 buffer and then sonicated. The homogenates were mixed with an extraction solvent of ethanol and hexane (1:1) with vigorous agitation and centrifuged at 2,500 rpm for 10 min. The precipitate was extracted with hexane. After centrifugation, the supernatant was dried under vacuum and dissolved in acetone. Astaxanthin and carotenoid levels in the extracts were determined using HPLC [15] as previously described [11].
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
All results are expressed as means ± SD. In each experiment, a SAS application package was used for statistical calculations [16]. Data in Experiments 1 and 2 were analyzed by Student’s t test. Group data for multiple comparisons in Experiment 3 were analyzed by ANOVA using a general linear model procedure followed by Duncan’s multiple range test. Statistical significance levels were based on values of P < 0.05.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

EXPERIMENT 1
Mean food intake and body weight gain were not significantly different between the two groups (data not shown). The results of meat color evaluation are presented in Table 2. A significant increase in the a* value for both breast and thigh meat and the L* value for the pectoralis minor muscle was observed with the diet. with added yeast (20 ppm Ax) were fed.
EXPERIMENT 2
There were no significant changes in feed intake, body weight gain, edible meat yield or breast and thigh meat yield when chickens were fed diets supplemented with untreated Phaffia yeast (data data is not presented). Table 2 shows that the L* and b* values of edible muscle and adipose tissues were not altered by the yeast-supplemented diet (20 ppm Ax). On the other hand, a* values in all identified muscle and adipose tissues were significantly increased by a 21-day yeast-supplemented diet starting when the chickens were 35 days old.

TABLE 2. Effects of diets supplemented with Phaffia yeast for 14 days from 28 days of age (Experiment 1) and 21 days from 35 days of age (Experiment 2) on meat color in broiler chickens

EXPERIMENT 3
Yield and edible meat yield were not affected by diets supplemented with untreated or cracked cell wall Phaffia yeast (Table 3). Results of color assessment of meat, fatty tissue and skin are presented in Table 4. No significant changes were detected in L* and b* values of breast meat, thigh meat, abdominal fat tissue or mid-breast skin treatments with the exception of low L* values for adipose tissue in chickens fed diets supplemented with cell wall-disrupting Phaffia yeast (30 ppm Ax). Feeding a diet supplemented with untreated yeast (15 ppm Ax) significantly increased the a* values of breast meat, thigh meat, and adipose tissue, respectively. Dietary supplementation with cell wall cracking yeast significantly increased the a* value of meat, adipose tissue and skin; The effects tend to be more pronounced at 30 ppm than at 15 ppm. Dietary yeast supplementation reduced the coefficient of variance (SD/mean) of a* values in all meats sampled.

TABLE 3. Effect of diet supplemented with Phaffia yeast for 21 days from 35 days of age on performance and edible meat yield in broiler chickens A (Experiment 3)

TABLE 4. Effect of diet supplemented with Phaffia yeast for 21 days from 35 days of age on meat color in broiler chickens (Experiment 3)

Total carotenoid concentrations in most of the sampled tissues (Table 5) were increased by the yeast-supplemented diet, but this increase was essentially independent of dietary Astaxanthin levels in the given groups. eating a diet supplemented with enzymes causes cracking of cell walls. Trans-Astaxanthin was detected in all tissues sampled from chickens fed yeast-supplemented diets; concentrations ranged from 0.03 to 0.3 µg/g for muscle tissue and 0.4 to 1.1 for µg/g liver. Trans-Astaxanthin concentrations increased quantitatively when diets supplemented with broken yeast were fed compared to concentrations when fed untreated yeast and were proportional to the astaxanthin concentration in the diet.

TABLE 5. Effect of diet supplemented with Phaffia yeast for 21 days from 35 days of age on carotenoid and astaxanthin (Ax) content of edible broiler meat and liver (Experiment 3)

MEAT COLOR CHANGES ACCORDING TO THE WAY YOU EAT
PHAFFIA YEAST
Current data show that the a* value of edible meat in broilers is enhanced by feed supplemented with Phaffia yeast, which contains high levels of Astaxanthin. This effect was emphasized for breast meat compared to thigh meat. The darker red color can be easily seen as shown in Figure 1. To date, dietary adjustments to meat color in broilers before slaughter have not been thoroughly studied; only Froning et al. [8] reported that the inclusion of nitrite in the diet increased the red color of broiler breast meat. Therefore, our results are the first to show that meat color, especially the red color of both breast and thigh, can be manipulated in broiler chickens by supplementing a natural feed ingredient in meal. Phaffia yeast with Astaxanthin is commonly used to produce pink fish flesh [10], and we have proposed that this yeast is useful as a potent source for pigmenting egg yolks in laying hens [11, 12, 13]. Dietary sources of carotenoids, of which the main carotenoids are lutein, zeaxanthin, cryptaxanthin and capsanthin as well as canthaxanthin, a stable synthetic carotenoid, have been used to pigment egg yolks [17, 18 ]. Janky and Harms [19] noted that supplementation of canthaxanthin (4 ppm) to broiler diets improved leg skin color. Current data show that, in addition to changing egg yolk color in laying hens [11, 12, 13], astaxanthin is also a potent carotenoid that can be used to pigment both meat (muscle) and skin. of broilers. The red color of meat, fat and skin is enhanced by using a form of yeast that breaks down cell walls in the food. This result is consistent with our previous findings [13] in laying hens, where broken yeast fed to hens was three times more effective than untreated yeast on yolk pigmentation. egg.

FIGURE 1. Photograph of breast fillets (Pectoralis major) from broilers fed a diet containing cracked Phaffia yeast to provide 30 ppm astaxanthin (Ax) for 21 days from 35 days of age (Experiment 2) .

ACCUMULATION OF ASTAXANTHIN IN MUSCLE AND LIVER
Trans-Ax was detected in muscle (0.1 to 0.3 µg/g) and liver (0.3 to 1.1 µg/g) in yeast-fed chickens but not in control chickens; Concentrations of trans-Ax increased partly proportional to the concentration of astaxanthin in the diet. The a* value of breast meat was enhanced with an increase in Astaxanthin intake, although this result was not statistically significant. Although Astaxanthin is partially converted to idoxanthin and cruaxanthin in chicken liver [20], it appears that the pigmentation of edible meat is mainly due to Astaxanthin, which is directly incorporated into the meat. The biological functions of carotenoids have received considerable attention in recent years [21], and Astaxanthin shows the most prominent antioxidant activity and immunomodulatory properties in animal tissues [22, 23]. Astaxanthin deposition (0.1 to 1.1 g/g) in tissues may be of interest in terms of preventing tissue peroxidation in chicken meat and, therefore, may be a food source for humans, as well has additional biological functions.
FEEDING PHAFFIA YEAST MUSHROOMS TO ADJUST MEAT COLOR
Poultry meat color is an important quality attribute, although consumer preferences for meat color can vary. Current standards relating to meat color in the broiler industry highlight the prevalence of slightly pale meat, possibly due to early market age, in addition to the fact that the color of the meat varies significantly. Dark discoloration and pale fillets are considered defects in many regions of the world [2, 3, 24]. Meat discoloration has been reported to be accompanied by both changes in L* and a* values [2, 24]. Because feeding diets supplemented with Phaffia yeast increased the red color of breast and thigh meat without changing the L* value, and at the same time reduced the coefficient of variance of the a* value in all types. The meat is sampled, so this yeast can be used to manipulate the chicken’s meat color without affecting the density (taking into account consumer preferences). Our finding that performance and edible meat yield were not affected by yeast-supplemented diets may encourage the practical application of Phaffia yeast in broiler feed formulation.

CONCLUSION AND APPLICATION

  1. The a* value (on the Minolta reflex colorimeter) of edible meat (breast fillets and thigh fillets) was significantly increased by feeding diets supplemented with Phaffia enzymes that break down cell walls in 3 weeks, provide 15 to 30 ppm of Ax in the diet.
  2. Edible meat performance and yield were not affected by feeding diets supplemented with Phaffia yeast for 3 weeks before slaughter.
  3. Astaxanthin, an antioxidant carotenoid, is deposited in edible meat at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 µg/g.
  4. Phaffia yeast is actually useful as a potent source for color correction of chicken.

Reference source:

Meat Color Modification in Broiler Chickens by Feeding Yeast Phaffia rhodozyma Containing High Concentrations of Astaxanthin

Akiba Y. *,Sato K. *,Takahashi K. *,Matsushita K. †,Komiyama H. ​​†,Tsunekawa H. ‡,Nagao H. ‡