Qualitative market segmentation of broiler grillers by using alternative proteins to soybeans and lipid sources in feeding programmes.

1. The aim of the present study was to investigate increasing amount of n-3 fatty acids (FA) in common edible chicken meat cuts by testing different levels of extruded linseeds (LS) and rapeseed oil in growing and finishing diets. Another challenge was to replace a part of soybean meal by faba beans.2. For that purpose, 3168, one-day-old Hubbard JV15 strain chickens were distributed into six groups: R1 = control diet, R2 = 3% then 5% LS, R3 = 4% then 6% LS, R4 = 5% then 7% LS, R5 = 3% then 5% LS and a low amount of soybean meal in the finishing diet and R6 = 3% then 5% LS and no soybean meal in the finishing diet. The growing performance was recorded throughout the trial. At 30 days of age, all chickens were slaughtered in a commercial slaughter plant at an average weight of 1322 g, to mirror the production of low body weight 'broiler griller' birds commonly available for export markets. Thirty carcases per group were processed to determine cut yields. The edible parts from each half carcase were removed to determine the chemical composition and fatty acid composition of meat with skin. The sensorial quality of thighs was evaluated for 20 carcases per group, after roasting. The environmental and economic impacts of the feeding programmes were further evaluated.3. This study showed that it was possible to replace a part of the soybean meal in finishing diet by faba beans and to enrich meat with n-3 FA of broiler meat portions without altering growth performance, carcase composition and sensorial quality of meat. The environmental impact was reduced by these dietary interventions, whereby climate change parameters, expressed as kg CO2 eq./T, and phosphorus and fossil energy consumption were lower, but the land occupation was increased. The extra feed cost was +3 to +8% for groups fed R2 to R6 compared to the control group R1.

Chitosan-coated mesoporous MIL-100(Fe) nanoparticles as improved bio-compatible oral nanocarriers.

Nanometric biocompatible Metal-Organic Frameworks (nanoMOFs) are promising candidates for drug delivery. Up to now, most studies have targeted the intravenous route, related to pain and severe complications; whereas nanoMOFs for oral administration, a commonly used non-invasive and simpler route, remains however unexplored. We propose here the biofriendly preparation of a suitable oral nanocarrier based on the benchmarked biocompatible mesoporous iron(III) trimesate nanoparticles coated with the bioadhesive polysaccharide chitosan (CS). This method does not hamper the textural/structural properties and the sorption/release abilities of the nanoMOFs upon surface engineering. The interaction between the CS and the nanoparticles has been characterized through a combination of high resolution soft X-ray absorption and computing simulation, while the positive impact of the coating on the colloidal and chemical stability under oral simulated conditions is here demonstrated. Finally, the intestinal barrier bypass capability and biocompatibility of CS-coated nanoMOF have been assessed in vitro, leading to an increased intestinal permeability with respect to the non-coated material, maintaining an optimal biocompatibility. In conclusion, the preservation of the interesting physicochemical features of the CS-coated nanoMOF and their adapted colloidal stability and progressive biodegradation, together with their improved intestinal barrier bypass, make these nanoparticles a promising oral nanocarrier.

Is it possible to increase the n-3 fatty acid content of eggs without affecting their technological and/or sensorial quality and the laying performance of hens?

The aim of this study was to increase the n-3 fatty acid (n-3 FA) content of eggs without affecting their sensorial and/or technological properties or the laying performance of hens. Laying hens from line 477 were divided into 5 groups corresponding to 5 different diets over the laying period: control diet (C) and diets containing extruded linseed with a high level of fibre (ELHF), extruded linseed with a low level of fibre (ELLF), microalgae, or a combination of 75% ELLF and 25% MA (ELLF+MA). Dietary enrichment with n-3 FA had no effect on the laying performance, hen body weight or egg white viscosity. The egg yolks produced by hens fed the diet containing microalgae were redder than egg yolks from the other groups, suggesting the presence of red pigments in the microalgae preparation. However, the colour difference was low and not perceptible to the human eye. Moreover, colour measurement of egg yolks by sensorial analysis panellists using the Roche colour fan did not reveal a diet effect on this parameter. Egg yolk lipid content was not affected by diet. The egg yolk of hens fed on diets containing linseed and/or microalgae had greater n-3 FA content (×2.5 to 2.9 compared to group C). Linseed mainly increased the linolenic acid content (×3.0 to 3.4 compared to group C) and the microalgae increased the LC n-3 FA content (×4.1 compared to group C). Dietary enrichment with n-3 FA had no effect on the sensorial quality of shell cooked eggs except for the "unusual flavour" criterion for which the score was higher for the MA group compared to the other groups and corresponded to a fishy flavour.

Is it possible to increase n-3 fatty acid content of meat without affecting its technological and/or sensory quality and the growing performance of chickens?

The aim of this study was to increase the content of n-3 fatty acids (FA) of meat without affecting its sensory and/or technological properties or the growth performance of chickens reared under standard conditions. Male chickens, Ross 308, were distributed into 5 groups corresponding to 5 different diets for the growing and finishing periods: control (T), containing extruded linseeds exhibiting high concentration of fibre (ELHF), extruded linseeds exhibiting low concentration of fibre (ELLF), microalgae, or an association of 75% ELLF and 25% MA (ELLF+MA). The diet containing microalgae induced a decrease in feed consumption without affecting growth rate. Chickens exhibited a lower feed conversion ratio than the other groups for the growing and finishing periods but also the whole rearing period. The use of linseeds in diets had no effect on the growth performance of chickens in comparison to the control group. The dietary enrichment with n-3 FA had few effects on carcass composition or the ultimate pH and colour of breast meat. The microalgae increased the meat susceptibility to oxidation. The lipid content of breast meat was not affected by the diets. The breast meat of chickens fed on diets containing linseeds and/or microalgae had greater n-3 FA content (2.4 to 3.9 times higher than group T). The linseeds and microalgae mainly increased the contents in linolenic acid and long chain n-3 FA, respectively. Dietary enrichment with n-3 FA had no effect on the sensory quality of fillets whereas the thighs of the MA group exhibited the lowest score for the flavour "chicken" and the greatest score for the flavour "abnormal" corresponding to a fish flavour.

Effect of a linseed diet on lipid composition, lipid peroxidation and consumer evaluation of French fresh and cooked pork meats.

Twenty castrated pigs [(Large-White×Landrace)×(Pietrain)] (52.9±5.1kg initial body weight) were fed a control or a linseed diet containing 4.2% of extruded linseed. Animals were slaughtered at 106.6±3.7kg live weight. There was no effect of diet on pig performance. Feeding the linseed diet increased the contents of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in chops (raw and cooked), chitterlings sausages, country style pâté, garlic sausages, liver pâté, and smoked belly. However, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) level was not affected by the linseed diet. The linseed diet produced a robust decrease in the n-6/n-3 and linoleic acid (LA)/α-linolenic acid (ALA) ratios (<4). Feeding pigs with a high n-3 PUFA diet led to a decrease in the oxidative stability of chops, in contrast to smoked bellies for which thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) values were not affected by the diet. However, there was no deleterious effect on consumer overall appreciation of the meat.