Livestock Science 207 (2018) 117–125

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Livestock Science
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/livsci

Effect of dietary supplementation with Pleurotus ostreatus on growth T

performance and meat quality of Japanese quail
R.D. Vargas-Sáncheza, G.R. Torrescano-Urrutiab, F.J. Ibarra-Ariasc, J.J. Portillo-Loeraa,
⁎
F.G. Ríos-Rincóna, A. Sánchez-Escalanteb,
a
Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (UAS), Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia. Blvd., San Ángel s/n Predio Las Coloradas, Culiacán, Sinaloa 80236, México
b
Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. (CIAD), Carretera a la Victoria Km 0.6, Hermosillo, Sonora 83000, México
c
Alta Tecnología Industrial para la Salud Animal, S.A. de C.V., Gabino Barreda 1290, Guadalajara, Jalisco 44430, México

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Pleurotus ostreatus is an edible mushroom that possesses antioxidant potential. The effect of dietary supple-
Pleurotus ostreatus mentation with Pleurotus ostreatus on performance, carcass, and meat quality attributes of Japanese quail was
Japanese quail investigated. The experiment involving a total of 288 quails 1-d-old, which were fed diets supplemented with P.
Meat quality ostreatus (0, 10 or 20 g/kg of diet) for 35 d, with feed and water for ad libitum consumption. Total polysaccharide
Feed additive
(TP), total phenolic and flavonoid content (TPC and TFC), antiradical DPPH• and ABTS•+ activity, as well as
polyphenols compositions of P. ostreatus extract were evaluated using high-performance liquid chromatography
(HPLC). The pH, color (L*, a* and b*), water holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss weight (CLW), texture and
oxidative stability (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS; total phenolic content, TPC; antiradical
DPPH• and ABTS•+ activity) were measured in breast meat during storage (0, 5, 10 and 15 d; 4 °C without
illumination). Statistical differences were not detected on growth performance expressed as body weight gain
228.3 g, feed intake 467.9 g, feed conversion ratio 2.0, feed efficiency 0.49, live weight at the slaughter of the
birds 217.2 g, as well as carcass weight 133.0 g and yield 61.3 g of the quail breast (P > 0.05). At day 15 of meat
storage, the pH24 (9.0%), a* (14.7%), b* (9.3%), WHC (7.2%), TPC (40.0%), DPPH• (11.0%) and ABTS•+
(33.0%) values were increased in quails fed with P. ostreatus in comparison with the control group; while
parameter L* (9.0%), CLW (21.4%), texture (30.7%) and lipid oxidation-TBARS (33.5%) values were reduced
(P < 0.05), which could be associated with the presence of polysaccharide and phenolic constituents in this
edible mushroom. In conclusion, this edible mushroom has the potential for use in the feed of Japanese quail to
improve meat quality and to serve as an antioxidant that reduces lipid oxidation during storage.

1. Introduction
The Japanese quail (Coturnix Coturnix japonica) is a small bird that
has recently received greater attention in the poultry industry due to
the increasing consumption of its meat and products (eggs, meatballs,
among others), mainly in European and Latin American countries. Also,
the Japanese quail has become an important model animal for in-
vestigation due to its short life cycle and great resistance to many
poultry diseases (Ikhlas et al., 2011; Galíndez et al., 2010; Purohit et al.,
2016). Although, for commercial purposes, its performance and meat
quality should be enhanced.
The quail meat (breast and legs) is considered an important source
of many essential nutrients for human health, including essential amino
acids (lysine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, threonine
and valine) as well as various monounsaturated (palmitoleic, C16:1;
oleic acid, C18:1) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid, C18:2;
and linolenic acid, C18:3), which are highly susceptible to oxidation
processes (Genchev et al., 2008). Oxidative deterioration of poly-
unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in muscles is one of the main causes of
quality loss in any type of meat and leads to discoloration, nutrient and
drip losses, the formation of toxic compounds and poor shelf life
(Falowo et al., 2014).
The uncontrolled concentration and uses of synthetic antioxidants
such as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), butylated hydroxyanisole

Abbreviations: HPLC, high performance liquid chromatography; CP, crude protein; TPC, total phenolic content; DPPH•, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; ABTS•+, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-
ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid); MDA, malondialdehyde; BW, body weight; FI, feed intake; FCR, feed conversion ratio; FE, feed efficiency; LWS, Live weight at slaughter; BHT,
butylated hydroxytoluene; BHA, butylated hydroxyanisole; TBHQ, tert-butylhydroxiquinone; PG, propyl gallate; SEM, standard error of the mean
⁎
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: armida-sanchez@ciad.mx (A. Sánchez-Escalante).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2017.11.015
Received 21 March 2017; Received in revised form 14 November 2017; Accepted 16 November 2017
1871-1413/ © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
R.D. Vargas-Sánchez et al. Livestock Science 207 (2018) 117–125

(BHA), tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) and propyl gallate (PG) is a Table 1

widespread practice for preserving meat. However, the use of synthetic Composition of experimental diets containing dried mushroom powder (g/kg).
antioxidants has shown potential health risks (i.e. carcinogenesis),
Item Starter diet (1–21 d) Finisher diet (21–35 d)
promoting strict regulations for their controlled use in foods. In pre-
vious investigations, natural antioxidants are commonly added directly CONa P10 P20 CON P10 P20
to meat or animal feed as additives (Kahl and Kappus, 1993; Madhavi
Ingredients
and Salunkhe, 1996; Poljsak et al., 2013). For animal feed supplements,
Corn 298.7 288.7 278.7 439.6 429.5 420.9
for example, the dietary administration of oil extract from rosemary Soybean meal 658.0 658.0 658.0 515.0 515.4 514.2
and sage was shown to enhance the oxidative stability of lipids in Dried mushroom 0.0 10.0 20.0 0.0 10.0 20.0
chicken meat and to reduce microsomal and cholesterol oxidation Sodium chloride 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5
(López-Bote et al., 1998). Lábaque et al. (2013) reported that dietary Methionine 3.4 3.4 3.4 4.0 4.0 4.0
Threonine 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.5 1.2 1.0
supplementation with thymol, an efficient radical scavenger, may help
Fine limestone 14.0 14.0 14.0 14.0 14.0 14.0
reduce fear responses of female birds when exposed to stressful situa- Orthophosphate 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0
tions, without affecting birds’ locomotor activity. Vitamins premixb 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0
Edible mushrooms are another natural source of bioactive com- Minerals 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6
Probiotic 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5
pounds such as polysaccharides, which improves the intestinal health of
Adsorbent 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0
broiler chickens. This effect occurs by reducing the pathogenic and Phytase 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1
increasing the beneficial intestinal microbiota (Guo et al., 2004; Enzyme 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25
Giannenas et al., 2010b). Lee et al. (2012) reported that Pleurotus eryngii Total (g) 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000
stalk residues potentially could be used as an antioxidant to decrease Chemical analysis
Dry matter 883.1 884.1 885.1 883.9 885.0 886.0
lipid peroxidation and improve meat quality in broilers. Moreover,
CP (N × 6.25) 281.8 282.2 282.5 240.3 240.9 240.9
Pleurotus ostreatus is an edible mushroom which is collected and culti- Ether extract 24.7 24.7 24.6 26.9 26.9 26.8
vated worldwide as they are valued sources of organic nutrients, such as Crude fiber 24.9 26.1 27.2 23.5 24.7 25.9
proteins, carbohydrates, fiber and certain vitamins in addition to mi- Calculated analysis
Lysine 19.9 19.9 19.9 15.9 16.0 16.0
nerals and compounds that exert biological properties (Wang et al.,
Methionine 5.6 5.6 5.7 5.6 5.7 5.8
2014). P. ostreatus is popularly known as the oyster mushroom. This Cysteine 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.2 3.3 3.3
common edible fungus is a primary decomposer of hardwoods in North Threonine 10.7 11.0 11.2 10.3 10.3 10.3
America and, traditionally, has been used to treat various human dis- Tryptophan 3.3 3.3 3.3 2.7 2.7 2.7
eases. Also, P. ostreatus has been demonstrated to possess biological Calcium 9.5 9.7 9.8 9.1 9.2 9.4
Phosphorus 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.6
properties, such as immunomodulatory, antimutagenic, anti-in-
Linoleic acid 12.8 12.7 12.7 13.5 13.4 13.4
flammatory, antilipidemic, hyperglycemic, antibacterial and antiradical ME, kcal/kg 3110.5 3104.6 3098.6 3142.0 3140.4 3134.7
function (Patel et al., 2012). Thus, given that mushrooms possess an- Antioxidant levels
tioxidant compounds, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of TPC, mg GAE/kgc 35.0c 55.4b 78.1a 13.8c 35.6b 51.6a
DPPH• (%)d 50.8c 70.7b 75.4a 25.6c 34.7b 37.3a
dietary supplementation with P. ostreatus on the growth performance
ABTS•+ (%)e 9.0c 10.2b 15.8a 5.0c 6.4b 7.1a
and meat quality of the Japanese quail.
a
CON, P10 and P20 represent groups of quails fed a basal diet supplemented with
powder-dried Pleurotus ostreatus mushroom at the levels of 0, 10 and 20 g/kg, respec-
2. Materials and methods tively.
b
Supplying per kilogram of diet: vitamin A, 3.75 mg; cholecalciferol, 112 µg; toco-
pherol acetate, 30 mg; sodium bisulfide menadione, 3 mg; vitamin B1, 1.5 mg; riboflavin,
2.1. Birds and experimental diets
6 mg; pyridoxine, 3 mg; cyanocobalamin, 15 µg; folic acid, 1.5 mg; niacin, 55 mg; cal-
cium phantothenate, 15 mg; vitamin B8, 180 µg; choline, 600 mg; Mn, 75 mg; Zn, 75 mg;
Two hundred and eighty-eight 1-d-old quail chicks were randomly Fe, 75 mg; Mo, 900 µg; Co, 750 µg; Se, 105 µg; Banox (BHT+BHA), 120 mg.
allocated to three experimental treatments. Each treatment consisted of c
TPC, total phenolic content.
d
eight replicates with 12 quails per pen. The pens (90 × 90 cm) were 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical.
e
placed in a conventional poultry house (9 × 9 m) with cement floor at 2,2´-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical. Different letters within
the same row indicate significant differences (P < 0.05).
60 cm from the ground, and the floor of the pens was raised 60 cm upon
the cement floor. During the first three days, a feed plate (25 ×
17.5 cm) and an automatic water supplier (500 mL) were placed in each 2.2. Chemical analysis
cage. From day four, a feed plate hopper-type and an automatic water
supplier (1000 mL) were placed. The temperature was set between 21 2.2.1. Edible mushroom composition
and 36 °C during the experimental period, and relative humidity varied Before formulating the diets, the main feed ingredients (i.e., corn,
between 23.4–53.8%, with a lighting program of 23 h/light per day. soybean meal and dried mushroom) were analyzed for proximate che-
During the first week (day 1–7), all birds were reared in the floor of the mical composition: dry matter (method 934.01), total protein content
pens using an absorbent paper towel and after the floor of the pen left by Kjedahl method (method 968.06), crude fat content was extracted
uncovered for the remainder of the study. Mortality was recorded daily, with petroleum ether in a Soxhlet apparatus (method 985.01), crude
and the diets were prepared following the nutritional requirements for fiber content (method 962.09) was analyzed in a Dosi Fiber apparatus,
fattening (N.R.C, 1994). The feeding program consisted of an ad libitum an ash was measured by incinerating dried samples at 550 °C and
starter diet (1–21 d) and a finisher diet (21−35), which are shown in moisture by oven drying (A.O.A.C, 2005). The metabolizable energy
Table 1. The diets were based on corn-soybean meal and Pleurotus os- values of ingredients were then calculated using N.R.C (1994) re-
treatus was supplemented at the expense of corn (10 and 20 g/kg). commended formula.
Quails were not vaccinated. The experiment was approved by the An- In addition to basic chemical composition, the feed ingredients were
imal Care and Use Committee of the Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, analyzed for amino acid and fatty acid composition according to
UAS and was conducted at the Poultry Unit of the Faculty of Veterinary Vázquez-Ortiz et al. (1995) and NMX-F-490– (1999)-NORMEX (1999),
Medicine of the same university, located in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico respectively. Briefly, 5 g of mushroom were hydrolyzed with 800 µL of
(24° 46′ 13′’ N and 107° 21′ 14′’ W). HCl 6 M at 150 °C for 24 h. Hydrolyzed samples were neutralized with
NaOH 6 M, and amino acids were derived with an O-phthalaldehyde

118
R.D. Vargas-Sánchez et al.
(OPA) solution before HPLC analysis. The chromatographic separation
was carried out in an HPLC 1260 series using a Poroshell 120 EC-C18 (3
× 100 mm, 2.7 µm; Agilent Inc., Palo Alto, CA, USA) column. A gra-
dient run was developed at a flow rate of 0.42 mL/min using Na2HP04
10 mM, Na2B4O7 10 mM, NaN3 5 mM, pH 8.2 (solvent A) and acet-
onitrile/methanol/DI (45:45:10, v/v) (solvent B). The gradient was 2%
B (0–0.35 min), 2–57% B (0.35–13.4 min), 100% B (13.5–15.7 min)
and 2% B (15.7–16 min). Each peak was monitored using a diode array
detector set at 338 nm with a wavelength reference of 390 nm.
Fatty acid composition was determined according to the method
described by NMX-F-490– (1999)-NORMEX (1999). Fatty acid compo-
sition of Pleurotus ostreatus was evaluated by fat extraction with
chloroform (CHCl3): methanol (MeOH) mixture 2:1 (Folch et al., 1957).
The extract was centrifuged, the supernatant filtered, dried over an-
hydrous sodium sulfate, concentrated in a rotary evaporator under
vacuum, weighed and identified as the polar lipid extract. The lipid
extract was methylated with BF3-MeOH. After, fatty acid methyl esters
(FAME) were analyzed with a gas chromatography chamber (Hewlett
Packard Model 6890; Avondale, PA) equipped with a flame-ionization
detector and capillary column 100 × 0.25 mm (SP-2560 Supelco Inc.
Bellefonte, PA) using He as a carrier gas 1.0 mL/min, in splitless mode.
The injector and detector were maintained at 260 °C. The oven tem-
perature increased from 150 to 175 °C, at 2 °C/min for 60 min
(Pedneault et al., 2007). FAME internal standard (C11:0, Supelco Bel-
lefonte, PA) was used to quantified FA composition, and FA identifi-
cation was made by comparing the relative retention times of FAME
peaks from samples with standards.
2.2.2. Mushroom extract preparation and composition
The hydrophilic bioactive compounds of Pleurotus ostreatus (20 g)
were extracted by ultrasound (1 h at 30 °C) using 180 mL of ethanolic:
aqueous (1:1). Then, the extracts were filtered through Whatman No. 1
filter paper and concentrated under reduced pressure at 60 °C in a ro-
tary evaporator (Yamato RE-301 BW). The extract was lyophilized in a
freeze dryer (Yamato DC401) and stored at − 20 °C under darkness
until use (Soares et al., 2009). The yield of ethanol: water-soluble
polysaccharide extract was determined according to Guo et al. (2004).
The carbohydrate content was determined by the sulfuric acid-UV
method (Albalasmeh et al., 2013). An aliquot of 0.25 mL of ethanolic:
aqueous extract (5 mg/mL) and 0.125 mL of 5% aqueous solution of
phenol were rapidly mixed with 0.625 mL of concentrated sulfuric acid
in a test tube for 30 s. Afterwards, the solution was cooled in ice for
2 min and brought to room temperature. Finally, UV-light absorption
was read at 315 nm using a spectrophotometer (Thermo Scientific,
Multiskan Go) and results were expressed as mg of glucose equivalent/g
extract.
The phenolic content was measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu (F-C)
method described by Mau et al. (2001). The ethanolic: aqueous extract
(10 µL, 5 mg/mL) was transferred into each well of a flat, 96-well mi-
croplate and diluted with 160 µL distilled water, 40 µL F-C reagent
(0.25 N) and 60 µL Na2CO3 solution (7%). The reaction mixture was
homogenized and incubated in darkness (at room temperature, 25 °C)
for 1 h. The absorbance was measured at 750 nm and results expressed
as mg of gallic acid equivalent/g extract. Total flavonoid content was
measured based on the formation of aluminum chloride complexes
(Popova et al., 2004). The extracts (10 µL, 5 mg/mL) were diluted with
130 µL of methanol, and 10 µL AlCl3 5% (w/v) were added. The mix-
ture was incubated for 30 min (25 °C), and the absorbance was read at
412 nm. The results were expressed as mg quercetin equivalent/g ex-
tract.
2.2.3. Antiradical assay
The antiradical assays were carried out according to the method
described by Huang et al. (2011) and Carlsen et al. (2010), with slight
modifications. The radical-scavenging activity (RSA) was evaluated by
the DPPH• (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical) method. The
119
Livestock Science 207 (2018) 117–125
ethanolic: aqueous extract (100 µL, 100 μg/mL) was mixed with 100 µL
of DPPH• solution (300 μM, abs 1.0 nm) and incubated for 30 min in
darkness at room temperature. After, the absorbance was measured at
517 nm. The RSA was calculated using the following equation: %RSA =
[(ADPPH – AS)/ADPPH] × 100, where AS is the absorbance of the solution
when the sample extract has been added at a particular level and ADPPH
is the absorbance of the DPPH• solution. After, the ABTS•+ radical ca-
tion assay was evaluated mixing 10 µL of ethanolic: aqueous extract
(100 µg/mL) with 990 µL of ABTS•+ (absorbance of 0.8 nm), which is
considered to be stable for free radicals derived from the reaction of
2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) with ammonium
persulfate. The samples were incubated for 30 min in darkness, and the
absorbance was measured at 730 nm. The results were expressed as
inhibition percentages.
2.2.4. Phenolic composition
An HPLC system (model 1100 series, Agilent Technologies,
Waldbronn, Germany) with a UV–Vis detector, equipped with a re-
versed-phase C18 column (125 × 4.0 mm, 5 mm; Agilent Inc., Clara,
Calif., U.S.A.) maintained at 30 °C, was used for analysis of phenolic
compounds (Hernández et al., 2007). The mobile phase consisted of
water with formic acid (5%; solvent A) and methanol (abs, solvent B).
The gradient was 0% B (0 min), 30% (10–20 min), 40% (20–30 min),
45% (30–50 min), 60% (50–52 min), 80% (52–65 min), 100%
(65–70 min) and 0% (70–71 min). The ethanolic: aqueous extract in-
jection volume was set to 10 µL at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The UV-
detection wavelengths were 340 nm and 280 nm. The phenolic acids
used as standards were: caffeic acid phenethyl ester, p-coumaric, gallic,
protocatechuic, and ferulic; as well as flavonoids compounds: acacetin,
apigenin, chrysin galangin, kaempferol, luteolin, naringenin, pino-
banksin, pinocembrin, pinostrobin, and quercetin. The concentrations
used as standards ranged from 50 to 500 ppm. All standard curves
showed high degrees of linearity (r2 > 0.99). Phenolic compounds were
identified by the retention times of each standard and were quantified
by their peak areas related with those of standard curves.
2.3. Performance and carcass processing
At 14 and 35 d of age, the performance of the quail was determined
by measuring the body weight (BW) in each bird and the feed intake at
the pen level (n = 8); the body weight gain and feed efficiency were
then calculated. At 35 d of age, quails were weighed (LWS, live weight
at slaughter) underwent a fasting period of 3 h with water provided ad
libitum. At the end of fasting, 32 male quails per treatment (four birds
per replicate) were randomly selected for sampling and then weighed
and euthanized by cervical dislocation for carcass processing according
to the "Humane Killing of Wild and Domestic Animals" (Norma Oficial
Mexicana, 1995) and weighed to obtain the carcass weight and yield.
The carcasses were washed and sanitized in cold water (50 ppm hy-
pochlorite), and they were pre-cooled in containers with crushed ice
(3 °C/30 min). The carcasses were then placed in plastic bags and
stored at 4 °C for 24 h; after this period, each carcass was individually
placed in a vacuum bag and frozen (−20 °C) until analysis. From each
carcass, the breast (Pectoralis major) muscle was dissected, according to
the protocol described by Genchev and Mihaylov (2008), and six
breasts from each treatment were placed on a styrofoam tray. The
polystyrene trays with breasts were wrapped with polyvinyl chloride
film (17,400 cm3 O2/m2/24 h at 23 °C) and subjected to refrigerated
storage at 4 °C without illumination for 0, 5, 10 and 15 d for subsequent
analysis.
2.4. Meat quality measurements
The color of the surface of the breasts was assessed using a spec-
trophotometer (model CM 508d, Konica Minolta Inc.), according to the
methodology of the Commission Internationale de l′Eclairage C.I.E
R.D. Vargas-Sánchez et al.
(1978). The recorded values were luminosity (L∗), red index (a∗),
yellow index (b∗), chroma (C∗) and hue (h∗). The pH of breasts was
measured according to the methodology described by Torrescano et al.
(2003). Samples were homogenized in distilled water (1:10), and pH
was determined using a potentiometer (Model pH211, Hanna Instru-
ments Inc., Woonsocket, R.I., U.S.A.) with automatic temperature
compensation. The water holding capacity (WHC) of breasts was de-
termined according to the methodology described by Castellini et al.
(2002), with slight modifications. Samples (1 g) were placed on a fine
mesh nylon, inserted into 50 mL tubes with a screw cap and then
centrifuged at 1500 × g at 4 °C for 5 min. The water remaining after
centrifugation was quantified by drying the samples at 70 °C for 24 h.
The WHC (%) was then calculated using the following formula: WHC =
[(weight after centrifugation - weight after drying) / initial weight)] ×
100. The cooking loss weight (CLW) was determined using the meth-
odology described by Torrescano et al. (2003), with slight modifica-
tions. Frozen samples (Pectoralis profundus) were thawed at 4 °C over-
night, and 1 cm3 of the breast was cut for determination of cooking loss
weight. Afterwards, samples were cooked in a water bath at 85 °C for
10 min to achieve a core temperature of approximately 71 °C in the
geometric center of the muscle (temperature was measured by a ther-
mocouple). Then, the samples were cooled at room temperature and
chilled another 12 h at 4 °C. The CLW (%) was calculated using the
following formula: CLW = [(initial weight - final weight)/initial
weight)] × 100. A texture instrumental analysis of breast samples was
performed using the Volodkevich method described by Wakefield et al.
(1989). The breasts were stored at 4 °C for 24 h, cooked in a water bath
at 71 °C (internal temperature) and then cut into strips (0.5 × 0.5 ×
1.0 cm) perpendicular to the length of the muscle fiber. A knife was
used to measure the maximum cutting effort (Kg-f). Lipid oxidation
(Lox) of breasts was measured by the TBARS method (Pfalzgraf et al.,
1995). Meat samples (5 g) were homogenized with 10 mL TCA (10%)
for 1 min, centrifuged at 2300 × g for 10 min at 4 °C and filtered
through Whatman No. 1 filter paper. Subsequently, 2 mL of the filtered
material was mixed with 2 mL TBA solution for 1 min in test tubes and
then placed in a water bath at 97 °C for 20 min. After cooling, the ab-
sorbance was read at 531 nm. TBA values were expressed as mg mal-
ondialdehyde (MDA)/kg of meat. The antioxidants of meat samples
(5 mg/mL), stored for 15 d, were extracted with ethanol and distilled
water and then by sonication at room temperature during 30 min. The
extracts were centrifuged at 2300 × g for 10 min, and the supernatant
was used to assay the total phenolic content using the Folin-Ciocalteau
colorimetric method and the antiradical DPPH• and ABTS•+ methods
(Mau et al., 2001; Carlsen et al., 2010; Huang et al., 2011).
2.5. Statistical analysis
The data were analyzed using NCSS statistical package v2007
(Kavyille, Utah, USA). The results of quail performance and carcass
characteristics were analyzed by a completely randomized design, with
three treatments and eight replicates of 12 birds each, respectively.
Data on meat quality were subjected to two-way ANOVA including the
main effects of dietary treatment (three levels) and storage time (four
levels) as well as interactions between two factors. The homogeneity of
variance was tested by Bartlett´s and Tukey´s tests and was carried out
to assess any significant differences at the probability level of P < 0.05
among the experimental treatments.
3. Results
The dried Pleurotus ostreatus powder used in the present study was
donated by ATISA (Alta Tecnología en Investigación para la Salud
Animal). As shown in Table 2, the results of chemical analyses showed
that this edible mushroom possess low moisture (< 15.0 g/kg), ether
extract (< 35.0 g/kg), and ash content (~ 50.0 g/kg); as well as a key
source of crude protein (~ 100.0 g/kg), crude fiber (~ 130.0 g/kg),
120
Livestock Science 207 (2018) 117–125
high carbohydrates content (> 600.0 g/kg) and nitrogen-free extract
(> 700.0 g/kg). The amount of insoluble a soluble fiber of P. ostreatus
was ~ 160.0 g/kg and ~ 18.0 g/kg, respectively. The yield of ex-
tractable polysaccharide content (~ 340.0 g/kg) and sugar content (~
120.0 g/kg), as well as the total phenolic (~ 30.0 g/kg) and flavonoid
(~ 25.0 g/kg), were determined and expressed based on the dry matter
of the intact mushroom. Also, P. ostreatus contained some biological
compounds such as essential and non-essential amino acids and es-
sential fatty acids, as well as secondary plant metabolites, including
polysaccharides, phenolic acids, and flavonoid compounds. Moreover,
the results showed that P. ostreatus exert in vitro good antiradical DPPH•
and ABTS•+ levels (> 50.0% and 15.0% of radical inhibition, respec-
tively). As shown in Table 1, the inclusion of P. ostreatus (10 and 20 g/
kg) in the quail feed increased the total phenolic content (TPC) 55.2%
and antiradical DPPH• and ABTS•+ levels of the diet (32.6% and 43.0%
of radical inhibition, respectively) when compared with the basal diet.
The obtained values for growth performance such as body weight
gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed effi-
ciency (FE) and carcass characteristics (live weight at slaughter, LWS;
carcass weight, CW; and yield) are shown in Table 3. Initial average
bird weight in all groups was 14.6 g (P > 0.05), and the performance
during 21 and 35 d of age were evaluated. The result showed no sig-
nificant effects (P > 0.05) on BWG (110.4 and 228.3 g, respectively), FI
(196.4 and 467.9 g), FCR (2.0 approximately), FE (0.5 approximately),
LWS (217.2 g), CW (133.0 g) and yield (61.4%). Also, no quail mor-
tality was observed throughout the experiment.
The proximate composition of quail meat (breasts) following sup-
plementation with P. ostreatus for 35 days is shown in Table 4. No
significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed in moisture 72.7%,
protein 22.2% and ash content 1.4%, among the treatments. The crude
fat content of quail breasts significantly decreased 22.2% in birds
supplemented with the edible mushroom when compared with the
control group (P < 0.05).
As shown in Table 5, the results of the meat quality parameters pH,
color (L*, a*, b*), water holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss weight
(CLW), texture (WBSF) and lipid oxidation (TBARS) showed that
treatment x storage time effect was significant (P < 0.05). The treat-
ment vs. storage time effect on pH values were significant (P = 0.004).
The pH values of breasts at 24 h post-slaughter (pH24) ranged between
5.7 and 6.0 and gradually decreased over storage time for the CON
group. At day 15 of storage, there was a significant (P < 0.05) decrease
in pH values (9.0% approximately) in the quail breasts from CON when
compared with P10 and P20 treatments. The treatment x storage time
effect on L* (lightness), a* (redness) and b* (yellowness) values were
significant (P < 0.001). The average values for L*, a* and b* of breasts
at 24 h post-mortem storage were 46.1, 10.9 and 8.3, respectively. At
day 15 of storage, L* and b* values were significantly increased
(P < 0.05) for the CON group over storage time by 8.5% and 37.3%,
respectively; while a* value was significantly decreased by 23.0% in
comparison with the P. ostreatus treatments. Also, the treatment x sto-
rage time effect on WHC (P = 0.045), CLW (P = 0.049) and texture (P
= 0.038) values were significant. The results showed that thought
storage time the WHC values were significantly increased in quail
breast supplemented with P. ostreatus treatments (7.2%, respectively);
while CLW and texture values were reduced for the same samples by
21.4% and 30.7%, respectively, when compared with CON group. In
addition, the treatment x storage time effect on TBA values were sig-
nificant (P < 0.001). The initial TBA values remained below 0.1 mg
malondialdehyde (MDA)/kg of meat for all treatments and these values
were significantly increased for the CON group by 83.6% (> 0.5 mg
MDA/kg). At day 15 of storage, the dietary P. ostreatus supplement
group displayed reduced MDA formation by 68% (< 0.2 mg MDA/kg)
in breast meat when compared with the CON group at day 15.
No detectable treatment x storage effects were observed on TPC (P
= 0.110), DPPH• (P = 0.960) and ABTS•+ (P = 0.920) values of breast
meat extracts obtained with ethanol as solvent (data are not shown);
R.D. Vargas-Sánchez et al. Livestock Science 207 (2018) 117–125

Table 2
Chemical composition of Pleurotus ostreatus powder and extracta.

Dried powder composition (n = 6)

Chemical analysis Amino acid composition

Dry matter, g/kg 870.0 Aspartic acid, g/kg 6.95 Leucine, g/kg 1.53
Total protein (N × 6.25), g/kg 123.0 Arginine, g/kg 4.96 Lysine, g/kg 3.98
Ether extract, g/kg 33.4 Alanine, g/kg 2.25 Methionine, g/kg 7.92
Crude fiber, g/kg 134.7 Glutamic acid, g/kg 12.62 Phenylalanine, g/kg 10.31
Ash, g/kg 52.0 Glycine, g/kg 1.33 Serine, g/kg 9.06
Carbohydrates, g/kg 643.7 Histidine, g/kg 7.79 Threonine, g/kg 24.84
Nitrogen-free extract, g/kg 766.9 Isoleucine, g/kg 22.99 Valine, g/kg 0.25
Phosphorus, g/kg 4.1 Fatty acid composition
Calcium, g/kg 14.0 16:00 (%) 5.0 18:3n−3 (%) 12.6
Insoluble dietary fiber, g/kg 166.0 18:00 (%) 0.6 MUFA 12.2
Soluble dietary fiber, g/kg 17.8 18:1n−9 (%) 10.5 PUFA 14.5
18:2n−6 (%) 12.6 SFA 6.8
Dried extract composition (n = 6)
Chemical analysis Phenolic composition
Yield of polysaccharide, g/kg 342.0 Compound Rt (min) g/kg
Total sugar content, g GE/kg 128.3 Gallic acid 1.9 23.3
Total phenolic content, g GAE/kg 34.2 Protocatechuic acid 2.7 2.6
Total flavonoid content, g QE/kg 26.3 Cinnamic acid 3.4 (-)
p-coumaric acid 7.8 (-)
Ferulic acid 8.7 (-)
Antioxidant levels Naringenin 27.3 (-)
DPPH• (%) 59.5 Quercetin 30.8 (-)
ABTS•+ (%) 16.0 Luteolin 36.4 (-)
Kaempferol 37.2 (-)
Apigenin 40.6 (-)
Pinocembrin 44.5 (-)
Pinobanksin 45.8 (-)
CAPE 49.0 (-)
Chrysin 47.9 0.7
Galangin 52.4 (-)
Acacetin 57.0 (-)
Pinostrobin 62.9 (-)

a
Dried powder values are reported in dried matter basis, while phenolic composition values are expressed in dried matter basis of the ethanolic: aqueous extract; MUFA, mono-
unsatured fatty acids; PUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acids; SFA, saturated fatty acids. 16:00, palmitic acid; 18:00, stearic acid; 18:1n-9, oleic acid; 18:2n-6, linoleic acid; 18:3n-3, linoleic
acid.

Table 3 Table 4
Effect of P. ostreatus supplementation on the growth performance and carcass char- Effect of P. ostreatus supplementation on proximate composition of quail breast meata.
acteristics of Japanese quail at 35 days of agea.
Item Treatments
Item CONb P10 P20 SEMc P-value
CONb P10 P20 SEMc P-value
Initial weight (g) 14.52 14.54 14.54 0.326 0.999
7–14 d 110.30 110.27 110.51 1.186 0.988 Moisture 72.6 73.10 72.32 0.353 0.316
BW gain (g) 95.78 95.74 95.97 1.254 0.990 Protein 22.07 22.43 22.17 0.137 0.180
FI (g) 194.28 183.45 201.45 8.471 0.330 Fat 1.84a 1.38b 1.42b 0.034 < 0.001
FCR 2.04 1.92 2.10 0.093 0.368 Ash 1.40 1.54 1.39 0.054 0.121
FE 0.51 0.48 0.52 0.002 0.467
a
14–35 d 244.88 241.93 241.74 3.653 0.794 Results are given as means of groups (n = 6) and expressed as a percent (%).
BW gain (g) 230.35 227.40 227.20 3.711 0.800 b
CON, P10 and P20 represent groups of quails fed a basal diet supplemented with
FI (g) 476.08 467.17 460.27 14.122 0.733 powder-dried Pleurotus ostreatus mushroom at the levels of 0, 10 and 20 g/kg, respec-
FCR 2.07 2.05 2.02 0.005 0.932 tively.
FE 0.49 0.49 0.50 0.001 0.829 c
SEM, standard error of the mean. Different letters within the same row indicate
LWS (g)d 217.80 221.28 212.40 3.545 0.207 significant differences (P < 0.05).
CW (g)e 131.60 136.87 130.56 2.192 0.100
Yield (%) 60.45 62.07 61.46 0.738 0.281
ABTS•+ (P = 0.002) were significant (P < 0.05). At day 15 of storage,
BW, body weight; FI, feed intake; FCR, feed conversion ratio; FE, feed efficiency. the values of TPC, DPPH• and ABTS•+ were lower in the CON group
a
Results are given as means per group (n = 8). (40.0%, 11.0% and 33.0%, respectively, at day 15) when compared
b
CON, P10 and P20 represent groups of quails fed a basal diet supplemented with with breasts of birds supplemented with P. ostreatus (P < 0.05).
powder-dried Pleurotus ostreatus mushroom at the levels of 0, 10 and 20 g/kg, respec-
tively.
c
SEM, standard error of the mean. 4. Discussion
d
LWS, live weight at slaughter.
e
Carcass weight.
The results presented in this study showed that P. ostreatus possess
nutritional components such as carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber (in-
the average values for these antioxidant parameters were 2.4 mg GAE/g soluble and soluble) and minerals (phosphorus and calcium), as well as
of meat, 53.0% and 25.6% of radical inhibition, respectively. sugars, essential amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine,
Meanwhile, for the aqueous meat extracts (Table 6), the treatment x methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, and valine) and fatty acids (li-
storage time effect on TPC (P = 0.036), DPPH• (P < 0.001), and noleic and linolenic acid). Besides, some compounds such as

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R.D. Vargas-Sánchez et al. Livestock Science 207 (2018) 117–125

Table 5
Effect of storage time and P. ostreatus supplementation on meat quality of Japanese quaila.

ITEM Treatmentb Storage time (Days) P-level

0 5 10 15 Trat Time Trat*Time

L* CON 47.60aB 45.30bB 48.20aB 52.00aA 0.011 0.013 < 0.001

P10 46.03bA 47.38aA 46.59bA 47.90bA
P20 44.71cA 45.80bA 44.78cA 47.40bA
a* CON 10.76aA 10.00bA 9.11bB 8.29bB < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001
P10 11.32aA 10.01bB 10.20aB 10.10aB
P20 10.56bA 11.03aA 10.40aA 10.94aA
b* CON 9.60aC 9.40bC 13.80aB 15.32aA < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001
P10 8.21bD 9.77bC 11.20bB 13.50bA
P20 7.13cC 11.90aB 10.62bB 13.40bA
pH CON 5.80aB 5.80aB 5.80cB 5.61bA < 0.001 < 0.001 0.004
P10 5.80aC 5.92aB 6.00aA 6.10aA
P20 5.80aC 5.91bB 5.90bB 6.21aA
WHC (%)c CON 62.68aA 61.16bB 60.09bB 57.80bC 0.017 0.023 0.045
P10 62.38aA 62.03aA 62.84aA 62.70aA
P20 62.26aA 62.20aA 62.27aA 61.80aA
CLW (%)d CON 11.42aB 11.42aB 14.18aA 14.10aA 0.003 0.050 0.049
P10 11.73aB 10.50cA 10.11bA 10.53bA
P20 11.92aB 10.91bB 10.20bA 10.10bA
Texture (Kg–f) CON 0.88bB 1.00aA 0.91aA 1.30aA 0.037 0.048 0.038
P10 1.00aA 1.05aA 1.10aA 0.92bB
P20 1.00aA 1.09aA 0.98aA 0.90bB
TBARSe CON 0.07aC 0.10aB 0.41aA 0.60aA < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001
P10 0.02bC 0.04bB 0.20bA 0.20bA
P20 0.02bB 0.03bB 0.21bA 0.20bA

Different letters (a–c) within the same column indicate significant differences (P < 0.05).
Different letters (A–C) within the same row indicate significant differences (P < 0.05).
a
Results are given as means of groups (n = 6).
b
CON, P10 and P20 represent groups of quails fed a basal diet supplemented with powder-dried Pleurotus ostreatus mushroom at the levels of 0, 10 and 20 g/kg, respectively.
c
Water holding capacity.
d
Cooking loss weight.
e
Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (mg MDA/kg meat).

Table 6
Effect of storage time and P. ostreatus supplementation on meat oxidative stability of Japanese quaila.

ITEM Treatmentb Storage time (days) P-level

0 5 10 15 Trat Time Trat*Time

c bA bB bB bC
TPC CON 5.8 4.3 4.2 2.5 < 0.001 < 0.001 0.036
P10 6.6aA 4.6aB 4.8aB 4.1aC
P20 6.5aA 4.7aB 4.8aB 3.9aC
DPPH• (%)d CON 60.4bA 60.7aA 59.0aA 56.6bB < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001
P10 63.6aA 60.2aB 59.8aB 58.8aC
P20 62.4aA 60.3aB 58.9bC 58.1aC
ABTS•+ (%)d CON 41.0aA 30.5bB 32.4bB 31.7bB < 0.001 < 0.001 0.002
P10 43.6aA 41.2aB 42.4aB 40.0aB
P20 40.3aA 39.7aA 41.6aA 41.1aA

Different letters (a-b) within the same column indicate significant differences (P < 0.05).
Different letters (A-B) within the same row indicate significant differences (P < 0.05).
a
Results are given as means of groups (n= 6).
b
CON, P10 and P20 represent groups of quails fed a basal diet supplemented with powder-dried Pleurotus ostreatus mushroom at the levels of 0, 10 and 20 g/kg, respectively.
c
Total phenolic content (mg eq. gallic acid/g).
d
Expressed as percentage inhibition of the respective radical.

polysaccharides and phenolic constituents (gallic acid, protocatechuic
acid, and chrysin) which are associated with the biological properties of
the edible mushroom were identified. This chemical profile is com-
parable to those reported in other studies (Chirinang and Intarapichet,
2009; Lee et al., 2012). The composition and biological properties of
these elements vary within and among mushrooms species, and the
maturity of the fruiting body can also play a role (Chirinang and
Intarapichet, 2009; Roupas et al., 2012). Environmental factors and
cultivation method can also have an impact on the abundance of spe-
cific compounds in edible mushrooms, which may then be added to the
diets of animals to enhance their oxidative status and reduce oxidative
reactions (Guillén-Navarro et al., 1998; Lee et al., 2012). However, no
information is available regarding the influence of dietary supple-
mentation with P. ostreatus powder for Japanese quail. So, the present
study was designed to evaluate the potential application of P. ostreatus
(0, 10 and 20 g/kg of diet) in the diet of Japanese quail, as this
mushroom is rich in polysaccharide and phenolic compounds, P. os-
treatus can be employed as a functional ingredient with potential to
improve performance, meat quality and antioxidant stability.
The results obtained in this study showed that P. ostreatus supple-
mentation no increase body weight gain (average 239.0 g) and feed
intake (average 468.0 g) values for Japanese quail among the treat-
ments (CON, P10 and P20) and periods (14 and 35 d of age).
Meanwhile, the values for the carcass characteristics LWS, CW and

122
R.D. Vargas-Sánchez et al.
Yield were not significant (P > 0.05). In agreement with our in-
vestigation, it has been reported an adverse effect on quail performance
when some oil´s extract from Mentha spicata was supplemented in quail
feed (Ghazaghi et al., 2014). In another work, Giannenas et al. (2010a)
reported that body weight, weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion
ratio values were not affected by Agaricus bisporus inclusion at 10 and
20 g/kg. Previous studies have shown that inclusion of natural sources
of antioxidants such as Pleurotus eryngii in the diet conferred growth
performance (i.e. body weight gain and feed efficiency) in broiler
chickens (Lee et al., 2012). In some studies where a positive effect has
been found on growth performance of chickens, results indicate that the
action of growth factors is mediated by an antibacterial effect (Guo
et al., 2004). These results suggest that edible mushroom species and
chemical composition could play a specific role in growth performance
of birds (Lee et al., 2012).
The results obtained for the proximate composition of quail breast
meat showed higher protein (~ 20.0%) and moisture content (~
70.0%) and lower fat content (~ 1.5%). The protein content in quail
breast is higher than the reported value for chicken breast 16.5% (Du
and Ahn, 2002), which indicate that quail meat, like most poultry, is a
valuable source of protein. Our results showed that fat content was
23.9% higher in birds from the CON group, compared with the birds
supplemented with P. ostreatus, which could be associated with the
antioxidant components of the edible mushroom, i.e. polysaccharides
and phenolic compounds. In agreement with this, Dong et al. (2007)
reported that supplementation of 0.06% of alfalfa extract (characterized
by having 18.6% polysaccharides, 5.6% triterpenoid saponins and 5.9%
flavonoids) in broiler chickens diets during six weeks, decreased 35.3%
the abdominal fat deposition. Also, Lee et al. (2012) reported that the
crude fat content was significantly decreased in the breast (15.1%) and
thigh (19.4%) of broiler chickens supplemented with 0.5%, 1.0% and
2.0% of Pleurotus eryngii stalk residue rich in antioxidant components,
i.e. polysaccharides and phenolic compounds. While Kamboh et al.
(2017) reported that supplementation with 5 mg of soy (genistein) and
20 mg citrus flavonoids (hesperidin) of broiler diets during 42 days,
significantly decreased the fat content of breast meat (2.7% and 12.4%,
respectively). These results were associated with the components of the
natural extract, mainly polysaccharides, and phenolic compounds. It
has been reported that supplementation of low-density chitosan (50 g/
kg) in the chicken diet for 3 weeks, reduce the fat content of chickens by
inhibiting the absorption of dietary fat in the small intestine via the
suppression of lipase activity due a reduction in the levels of bile acids
(Kobayashi et al., 2002). The supplementation of 25 mg/kg of oligo-
saccharides in the diet of animal models (rats) reduces fat deposition by
reducing lipid uptake via the suppression of the enzyme activity of
pancreatic lipase (Kang et al., 2012). Also, Biswas and Wakita (2001)
reported that 0.5% of polyphenols supplemented in the broiler chickens
diets reduce abdominal fat traits by inhibiting hepatic lipogenesis.
Also, Genchev et al. (2008) reported that the fat content of quail
breast is 2.5% which is a high value in comparison with our study. Also,
this work indicate that high proportions of fat content subsequent in-
creased lipid oxidation, which conferring many negative characteristics
on the physicochemical, sensory and technological properties of meat.
So, the meat industry uses additive of synthetic origin to reduce this
oxidative process. However, the uncontrolled use of synthetic anti-
oxidants has shown potential health risks such as cancer (Kahl and
Kappus, 1993; Poljsak et al., 2013). Several natural products are po-
tential alternatives to synthetic antioxidants and have begun to receive
considerable attention in the food industry, as they may extend the
shelf-life of foods, improve food quality and be directly incorporated
into the food matrix or through diet (Shahidi and Zhong, 2010; Lábaque
et al., 2013).
In this study, pH values of breasts at 24 h post-slaughter (pH24)
ranged between 5.7 and 6.0 and gradually decreased over storage time
for the CON group. Similar pH values were found by others authors
(Genchev et al., 2008; Mehdipour et al., 2013), reporting normal values
123
Livestock Science 207 (2018) 117–125
of pH from 5.8 to 6.3. Those values may be used as a reference for quail
breasts, and may result from good animal welfare conditions, which
may reduce pre-slaughter stress and thus glycogen consumption
(Castellini et al., 2002). In this case, pH values are related to glycogen
content in muscle, and glycogen stores are strongly influenced by lo-
comotor activity and the presence of stress factors in the pre-slaughter
process. After slaughter, the pH values of muscle immediately were
reduced during the post-mortem period, and the rate of pH decline often
affects meat quality parameters (Genchev and Mihaylov, 2008).
Meanwhile, high breast pH produces conditions that create a dark-co-
lored appearance associated with water retention, due to an increase in
muscle fiber density and compaction (Barbut et al., 2005).
In poultry meat, color is an important quality attribute that influ-
ences consumer acceptance since consumers often reject products with
a color that varies from the expected, typical appearance (Qiao et al.,
2001). In our study L*, a* and b* color values were found by Allen et al.
(1998) and Genchev et al. (2008) studies, who associated dark meat
breast to values of L* < 50.0, a* > 4.5 and b* < 10.0. In the last day of
sampling, an increase in L* and b* values were observed for the CON
group when compared with P. ostreatus treatments. Those color changes
can be associated with a decrease in a* value (red index) and pH values
(Debut et al., 2003). The lowest L* (47.6) and b* (13.5) values, as well
as the highest a* (> 10.0) values were obtained in quails supplemented
with P. ostreatus treatment, which confirm the efficacy of this edible
mushroom against color changes of meat.
Moreover, water loss is of great commercial importance, as it can
generate economic losses when theses exceed 10.0% (Allen et al.,
1998). The results of the current investigation indicate that at day 15,
the dietary mushroom supplementation led to decreased water loss
after cooking (8.0%) and reduced the texture (10.0%) and increased the
WHC (7.1%) in comparison with the breasts of the CON group. In
agreement with our work, Mehdipour et al. (2013) reported a sig-
nificant increase in the WHC (5.0%) in quail breast meat of birds sup-
plemented with cinnamon oil (200 mg/kg) as a natural antioxidant.
However, no significant differences were observed in the water loss
parameter. In a previous study, Debut et al. (2003) reported that water
loss and WHC of raw chicken meat was significantly higher for the birds
with high initial rates of pH decline. These unfavorable pH values are
associated with negative environmental factors and may lead to pale,
soft, and exudative conditions. After slaughter, a fast development of
rigor mortis is known to affect the structure of myofibrils. The oxidation
of myofibrils involves the loss of essential amino acids and the gen-
eration of oxidation products, such as cross-links (disulfide bonds and
di-tyrosines), amino acid-oxidized derivatives, and protein carbonyls.
Those chemical changes lead to shrinkage of contractile fibers and
weaker bonds with protein muscles and thereby reducing the water-
binding ability of breasts (i.e., leading to an increase in liquid outflow
and loss of soluble nutrients) and increasing light scattering and hard-
ness of the meat (Dransfield and Sosnicki, 1999; Warris, 2001). The
results obtained in our investigation could be attributed to the presence
of phenolic compounds since they been reported to reduce protein
oxidation by radical-scavenging and metal-chelating mechanism
(Estévez et al., 2008), which led to reduce water loss and increase WHC
(Mehdipour et al., 2013).
Malondialdehyde (MDA) is a biomarker commonly used to measure
the level of lipid oxidation (Lox) in poultry meat through the reaction
with thiobarbituric acid-TBA: TBA + MDA → TBA-MDA adduct (Salih
et al., 1987). The lipid oxidation levels were increased for all treatments
trough storage time and indicated that MDA formation occurred from
the day 0 (< 0.1 mg MDA/kg). At day 15 of storage, the lowest MDA
values were obtained in P. ostreatus treatments when compared with
CON group. These results can be associated with the presence of
polysaccharide and phenolic compounds found in P. ostreatus powder,
which can act as inhibitors of aldehydic Lox products, especially MDA,
that are transferred to and/or accumulated in meat (Patel et al., 2012;
Lin et al., 2004). Also, the high MDA formation founded in CON
R.D. Vargas-Sánchez et al.
samples could be associated with a high-fat deposition in the muscle of
the birds (Kamboh et al., 2017). In agreement with the latter,
Mehdipour et al. (2013) reported a decrease in MDA formation from
quail meat by an average of 26.9% when cinnamon oil was supple-
mented in the diet. In a previous work, Giannenas et al. (2010a) re-
ported that dietary supplementation of the mushroom A. bisporus at
both inclusion levels of the study (20 > 10 g/kg) reduced MDA pro-
duction in breast tissue (by approximately 33.3%). Additionally, Lee
et al. (2012) reported that MDA production slightly decreased (33.5%)
in broiler chickens supplemented with Pleurotus eryngii stalk residue
(mainly at 20 g/kg) compared with their basal diet.
Other methods used to evaluate the antioxidant stability of meat
extracts (ethanolic and aqueous) are the total phenolic (TPC) and an-
tiradical DPPH• and ABTS•+ activity. The obtained results at the current
investigation revealed that on last day of sampling the presence of
phenolic constituents was > 35.9% and antiradical DPPH• > 3.7% and
ABTS•+ > 26.3% for quail breast of birds supplemented with P. os-
treatus. A previous study indicated that free radical scavengers, such as
phenolic compounds (Ar-OH), could inhibit the Lox cycle. The proposed
mechanism of oxidative reactions between an unsaturated fatty acid
(RH) and phenolic compounds (Ar-OH): RH → R• (free radical) + O2 →
ROO• + Ar-OH (antioxidant) → ROOH + Ar-O• (oxidized antioxidant)
(Falowo et al., 2014). This finding suggests that dietary mushrooms
exerted an antioxidant effect on breast meat.
5. Conclusion
In conclusion, the results reported in this work showed an increase
in meat quality parameters and antioxidant stability of quail breast
meat because of dietary mushroom supplementation. The inclusion of
10 or 20 g of P. ostreatus/kg in the diet was effective in delaying the
lipid oxidation of breasts and enhancing the color, pH, WHC, CLW, and
texture. These results could be associated to the presence of phenolic
constituents in meat samples, as well as to the antiradical DPPH• and
ABTS•+ values founded in P. ostreatus treatments when compared with
control group. However, no significant effects of treatment were ob-
served on performance and carcass characteristics. Future experiments
are required to elucidate the mechanisms of antioxidant activity and to
determine the individual components responsible for antioxidant
properties. These results indicate that edible mushrooms should be
considered for use as an alternative to commercially available anti-
oxidants that are currently used as a feed supplement or incorporated
directly into meat products.
Acknowledgments
Rey D. Vargas-Sánchez gratefully acknowledges the fellowship re-
ceived from CONACYT (2015, 1; 290941)for his postdoctoral work. We
are grateful to Carlos Bell Castro Tamayo, M.S., Dr. Ramón Ignacio
Castillo López, FMVZ, Vladimir Martínez Cruz and Melesio Quiñones
for his technical support.
Conflict of interest
There was no conflict of interest throughout the duration of the
current investigation.
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