Effect of economase replacing vitamin E and selenium on growth performance and meat quality of broilers

One hundred, one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were allocated in five treatment groups; control (100 mg/kg Vit E), 20 mg/kg Vit E, 20 mg/kg Vit E +Economase; 40 mg/kg Vit E, 40 mg/kg Vit E+Economase. The birds were fed ad libitum for 42 days in individual cages. Body weight gain, food intake, food efficiency (gain/food intake) and carcass weight were measured. Breast and thigh meats were sampled for TBARS evaluation, blood samples were taken for biochemical parameters. No significant differences between growth performances of treatment groups were observed. Drip loss was not affected significantly (P>0.05), but water holding capacity was lower (P<0.05) at 20 mg/kg Vit E in contrast to the control and the other treatments groups receiving 20 or 40 mg/kg vit E with Economase. Blood total antioxidant capacity in control groups was significantly (P<0.05) higher than the treatment groups. TBARS values of the groups receiving 100 mg/kg vitamin E or 40 mg/kg Vitamin E plus Economase found to be lower. The results suggest that vitamin E level in the commercial broiler diets could be reduced to 40 mg/kg using Economase at 200 mg/kg without loss in the growth performance, meat quality and also oxidative stability.