Fatty acids profile of breast and thigh muscles of broiler chickens fed diets with propolis and probiotics

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of supplying propolis extract separately and propolis extract together with probiotics based on Lactobacillus fermentum on fatty acids (FA) composition of the most valuable parts of chicken carcass. Diets enriched with 400 mg propolis extract per 1 kg of feed mixture and 400 mg propolis extract per 1 kg of feed mixture plus 3.3 g probiotic preparation added to drinking water (E1 and E2 groups, respectively) were given to broiler chickens throughout a 42-d growth period. After slaughter, the FA profiles of breast and thigh samples were determined. Both supplemented diets decreased the total amount of saturated FA (SFA), mainly because of the myristic (C14:0) and stearic (C18:0) acid contents in both breast and thigh muscles. However, a significant decrease (P ≤ 0.05) in SFA was confirmed only in thigh muscle. Supplementation with propolis together with probiotics (E2) significantly increased (P ≤ 0.05) monounsaturated FA (MUFA) contents in breast muscle. Particularly oleic acid (C18:1 cis) contributed to an overall increase in MUFA. A rise (P ≤ 0.05) in polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) in breast muscle was, however, associated with the dietary supplementation of propolis extract separately (E1). A similar trend (P  0.05) for MUFA and PUFA levels was also observed in thigh muscle. Of all PUFAs detected in breast and thigh muscles, linoleic acid (C18:2 cis) was found at the highest levels. Its levels varied from 11.34 to 12.02 g*100 g-1 and from 11.05 to 11.82 g*100 g-1 in breast and thigh muscles, respectively. The highest level (P ≤ 0.05) of linoleic acid was observed in group E1. Comparing breast with thigh muscle, the breast was demonstrated to contain more SFA and PUFA, but less MUFA proportions. Although the n-3 PUFA:n-6 PUFA ratio was similar among the treatments in both breast and thigh muscles, n-6 PUFA:n-3 PUFA ratio has been showed to be a significantly lower (P ≤ 0.05) in thigh muscle, with the lowest ratio found in E2 group. Differences in n-6 PUFA:n-3 PUFA ratio in breast were, however, not significant (P  0.05) between the treatments. On the whole, the present study indicated that propolis applied through the feed either separately or together with probiotics applied through the water had favourable effect on fatty acids profile in the most valuable parts of chicken carcass and could be thus added to diets for broiler chickens