Morinda officinalis Polysaccharide Supplement Improves Meat Quality in Late-Stage Wenchang Chicken Breeding

This experiment aimed to study the effects of adding <i>Morinda officinalis</i> polysaccharide (MOP) on the growth, carcass performance and meat quality of Wenchang chickens. A total of 480 eighty-one-day-old Wenchang chickens were randomly allocated into five groups using a completely randomized design, with eight replicates per group (<i>n</i> = 8 per treatment). The control group received a basal diet (CON group), while the experimental group was given a diet with 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 mg/kg MOP supplements. During the 40 day trial, MOP supplementation did not affect the growth and carcass performance (<i>p</i> > 0.05), but it increased the a* value of breast muscles compared to the CON group. The breast and thigh muscles in the MOP group had significantly lower shear force than those in the CON group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The MOP groups significantly decreased the muscle fibers' cross-sectional area and diameter in the breast and thigh muscles of Wenchang chickens compared to the CON group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The MOP₅₀₀ group notably raised the total number of essential amino acids and total amino acid levels in Wenchang chickens, whereas the MOP₁₀₀₀ group significantly lowered the total SFA concentration (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Collectively, MOP enhances Wenchang chickens' meat quality, with optimal results at 1000 mg/kg.