Effect of natural and synthetic antioxidants in poultry feed during different storage temperatures

Abstract Responsible consumption and production are one of the sustainable development goals. Antioxidant plays a crucial role in the prevention of oxidative deterioration of poultry and farm animal feed. This study examined the physical (moisture content, ash content, flow ability) and antioxidant properties of commercially available natural (Ozox A and Ozox B) and synthetic (Oxistat) antioxidant additives in Australia. Also, their effectiveness in poultry feed (mashed and cooked) during different storage temperatures (25, 30, and 45 °C) was investigated. The results indicated the ash content was higher in Oxistat (95.69%) compared to Ozox A (3.77%) and Ozox B (3.71%) (P < 0.05). Flow ability results suggested that Ozox A and Ozox B are cohesive powders, whereas Oxistat was an easy-flowing powder. Antioxidant activities of additives were determined by DPPH radical scavenging activity and oxidative preventive effect in poultry feed was measured by peroxidation value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) method. The percentage of DPPH radical inhibition of Ozox A (90.37%) was higher followed by Ozox B (71.02%) and Oxistat (67.88%) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, mashed and cooked feed treated with Ozox A and Ozox B show lowered free fatty acid (FFA) content during storage at 45 °C. A lower PV and TBARS values were noted in Ozox A treated samples compared to Ozox B and Oxistat at higher temperatures (30 and 45 °C). Overall, results suggested that Ozox A and Ozox B had higher antioxidant activity and could prevent oxidative changes in poultry feed during storage at 25, 30, and 45 °C. Therefore, natural blend antioxidants (Ozox A and Ozox B) are more promising additives to poultry feed than synthetic additives, addressing sustainable development goals.