Flavonoids and mannanoligosaccharides in broiler diets

INTRODUCTIONThis experiment was carried out at the at the poultry sector of theSchool of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science – UNESP, Botucatucampus, and aimed at evaluating the effect of the inclusion of flavonoidsalong with mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) as compared to otheradditives on the performance, carcass and parts yields, and meat qualityof broilers reared from 1 to 42 days of age. A total number of 1500Cobb broilers were distributed according to a completely randomizedexperimental design into five treatments, with six replicates of 50 birdseach. Treatments consisted of a control group, probiotic 1, probiotic 2,antibiotic, and flavonoids+MOS. For the period of 1 to 42 days of age,there were no differences among treatments as to daily weight gain,feed intake, mortality, and final body weight, but a significant differencewas found for feed conversion ratio for the flavonoids+MOS treatment.Carcass and parts yields were not significantly influenced by thetreatments. Tbars number, which indicates meat fat oxidation index,was significantly different in both refrigerated and frozen meat. Thelowest oxidation index was obtained with the flavonoids+MOStreatments. Under the conditions of the present study, thesupplementation of broiler diets with flavonoids+MOS was effective.INTRODUCTIONBrazil is presently the world largest exporter of poultry meat. Brazilianpoultry meat production chain generates more the US$10 billionannually, and more than one million direct and indirect job positions(Sbrissia, 2005).One of the consequences of the increase in poultry production wasthe use of additives in animal nutrition to maximize performance indexes.Poultry production is presently highly dependent on the use of growthpromoter to maintain high productivity levels. However, there is anincreasing search for alternatives to practices that may pose risks tothe consumers’ health (Miltenburg, 2000).The global concern with food safety is based on the possibility of theselection of bacteria resistant to antibiotics, which would be caused bythe indiscriminate use of antibiotics used as growth promoters (PalermoNeto, 2002).In the European Union, the ban of the use of antibiotic growthpromoters was effective since January 1