Effect of Dietary Addition of Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) Powder on Fattening Performance, Meat Quality, Oxidative Stability and Storage Quality in Japanese Quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary addition of blueberry (<i>Vaccinium corymbosum</i>) powder on the growth performance, meat quality, oxidative stability and cold storage quality of Japanese quails (<i>Coturnix coturnix japonica</i>). In this research, 480 quail chicks were divided into four experimental groups, and each experimental group was composed of four replicates, each containing 30 quail chicks. Commercial feed was used in the study, but BBP was added to the feed at levels of 0%, 1%, 2% and 4%. Results showed that dietary addition of blueberry powder did not affect body weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio (<i>p</i> > 0.05). No significant difference was observed between hot and cold carcass weights and carcass yield among carcass parameters (<i>p</i> > 0.05). However, significant differences were found among the blueberry-supplemented groups in terms of thigh, back and neck ratios (<i>p</i> < 0.05). In this study, it was determined that thiobarbituric acid (TBA), pH and peroxide values in breast meat samples kept at +4 °C for 1, 3, 5 and 7 days were lower in the blueberry-supplemented groups compared to the control group and these values decreased linearly as the supplement level increased (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The addition of blueberries to the quail diets resulted in similar L, a and b values in breast and thigh meat and skin among the groups (<i>p</i> > 0.05) except for the b value in thigh meat (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The findings obtained in this study revealed that although adding blueberries to the quail diet did not have a significant effect on performance, the antioxidant activity and phenolic substance content of the plant had a significant effect on increasing the shelf life of meat. It was concluded that blueberry could be used as a natural additive that may replace synthetic antioxidants.