The effect of dietary supplementation with the natural carotenoids curcumin and lutein on pigmentation, oxidative stability and quality of meat from broiler chickens affected by a coccidiosis challenge

1. An experiment was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the antioxidants curcumin (CRM) and lutein (LTN) on the quality of meat from coccidiosis-infected broilers. A total of 200 one-day-old Arbor Acre chicks were randomly assigned to a treatment group with 5 replicates. The treatments included a basal diet without carotenoid supplementation (control), with 300 mg/kg CRM, with 300 mg/kg LTN or with a combination (C + L) of 150 mg/kg CRM and 150 mg/kg LTN. All chickens were challenged with Eimeria maxima at 21 d old. 2. The results revealed that the coccidiosis reduced redness of meat, while supplementation with carotenoids improved the fresh meat's redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) and contributed to colour stability maintenance after storage (1 month at -18°C and 3 d at 4°C). 3. Coccidiosis did not produce lipid and protein oxidation in fresh meat, but after storage for one month, the malondialdehyde levels and carbonyl contents were lower in the CRM and C + L birds and the sulfhydryl contents were higher in C + L birds. 4. The sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis banding pattern showed equivalent myosin chain fragmentations in all treatment groups, whereas lower intensity actin bands were observed in the control group (CONT). Moreover, myofibril protein denaturation (differential scanning calorimetry) profiles showed a reduction in the CONT myosin and actin peaks. Coccidiosis reduced the meat's water holding capacity in non-supplemented chicken meat and was improved by natural carotenoid. 5. These results emphasise that coccidiosis did not decrease the eating quality of fresh meat, that natural carotenoids are efficient antioxidants and that CRM (300 mg/kg) fed individually or combined with LTN was the most effective supplemented antioxidant compound.