Complementary effects of probiotics and stimbiotics inclusion on carcass traits, meat quality and antioxidant activity in broiler chickens exposed to cyclic heat stress

This study assessed the complementary effects of probiotics and stimbiotics inclusion in diets on carcass traits and meat quality in broiler chickens exposed to cyclic heat stress. 600 day- old Cobb500 chicks were divided into five dietary groups; T1: Standard broiler diet, with no AGPs (NegControl); T2: Basal diet, with AGPs (PosControl); T3: Basal diet + 0.01% probiotics (Prob); T4: Basal diet + 0.01% stimbiotics (Stim) and T5: Basal diet + 0.01% (probiotics+ stimbiotics) (ProbStim). The birds were fed over a period of 42 days and then slaughtered for measurements of internal organs, carcass traits and meat quality attributes. The results revealed that dietary treatments had no effect on internal organs apart from the liver weight, duodenum and length of large intestine. Broiler chickens fed PosControl showed the heaviest liver, while those fed PosControl and ProbStim diets showed heavier duodenum weight. Carcass characteristics were not affected by diet apart from the wing weight. Broiler chickens fed Prob and ProbStim obtained heavier wing weight. With regards to meat quality, diet significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05) affected the lightness (<i>L</i>*_i), yellowness (<i>b</i>*_i) and redness (<i>a</i>* _24hr). Diet also significantly influenced (<i>p</i> < 0.05) the antioxidant activity of the broiler meat on FRAP and TEAC assay. Prob and Stim individually showed high ferric ion reducing power, while on TEAC assay, NegControl and Prob showed the most efficient scavenger of radicals. The findings suggest that probiotics and stimbiotics can improve carcass traits and meat quality parameters in broilers while mitigating negative effects of heat stress.