Effect of fish oil and vitamin E in the diet on the fatty acid composition of breast meat in broiler chickens

The experiment was conducted on 640 Cobb chickens allocated to 16 groups, 5 replications of 4 males and 4 females each. From 22 to 42 days of age the chickens were fed diets containing 50 g of rapeseed oil and 0, 3,5 and 8 g of fish oil (FO) and were supplemented with 0, 40, 150 and 300 mg-kg(-1) of alpha-tocopheryl acetate. At the end of the experiment the chickens were killed and breast meat was analysed for PUFA and alpha-tocopherol content. At a dietary level of 5 g.kg(-1) or more of fish oil, the EPA and DHA content in breast meat lipids increased and the PUFA n-6/n-3 ratio declined. Graded levels of vitamin E added to the diet increased the alpha-tocopherol content in meat in a dose-dependent manner. An interaction was not found on the effect of vitamin E and FO in the diet and PUFA in meat.