Effects Of Alfalfa Saponins On Growth Performance, Meat Quality And Cholesterol Metabolism Of Jinghai Yellow Chicken

Alfalfa saponin is isolated from alfalfa. With unique bioactivities of active substances in it, it can reduce cholesterol content, regulate lipid metabolism, enhance immune, improve meat quality, anti-oxidation etc, and its main biological functions are to promote the excretion of cholesterol, blood fat and reduce atherosclerosis. As a result, it is now a hot subject. Divided320one-day-old Jinghai yellow chickens (J×J) into4groups:control group and Test group Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, with5repetitions and80chickens in each group with half for each sex and fed the control group with basal diet, while test groups with basal diet+0.03%,0.06%and0.09%alfalfa saponins, the research was lasted16weeks to indicate that adding alfalfa saponin at different levels can have an influence on the growth performance, slaughter performance, meat quality, anti-oxidation and cholesterol metabolism of Jinghai yellow chickens. The results shows that:1. Compared with the control group in the early growth period of jinghai yellow chickens (1-4weeks), adding high concentration alfalfa saponin (0.09%) in the basal diet could decrease the ADFI by11.52%(P<0.05), and then, it showed a weak restorative effect, but it still inhibited growth and had a high F/G (P>0.05) at late growth stage. Meanwhile, adding a lower concentration alfalfa saponin (0.03%-0.06%) could increase the ADFI and ADG and decrease F/G.2. Adding alfalfa saponins in the basal diet could increase percentage of half-eviscerated yield, percentage of eviscerated yield, breast muscle yield and leg muscle yield and decrease the abdominal fat rate. Of all the groups, percentage of eviscerated yield, leg muscle yield of Test group I and breast muscle yield of the group adding high concentration alfalfa saponins(0.09%) were significantly higher than those of control group(P<0.05), meanwhile, there was no significant difference among each group.3. Adding higher concentration alfalfa saponins(0.06%-0.09%) could decrease water loss rate, shear stress and leg meat color and increase the water rate (P<0.05). Adding high concentration alfalfa saponins (0.09%) could significantly increase pH of breast muscle (P<0.01). Adding alfalfa saponins in the basal diet could reduce the crude fat and increase the crude protein (P<0.05).4. As the increase of the alfalfa saponins adding into the basal diet, the activities of SOD of breast muscle and leg muscle of Jinghai yellow chickens increase. MDA contents of each group adding alfalfa saponins were lower than control group. Of all, higher concentration of alfalfa saponins adding in the basal diet could significantly increase the SOD activity of breast muscle and leg muscle of Jinghai yellow chickens and decrease MDA content.5. When adding concentration between0.03%and0.09%, cholesterol content could decrease as the increase of alfalfa saponins adding in the basal diet, what’s more, higher concentration of alfalfa saponins had a significant effect on reducing cholesterol content. Adding alfalfa saponins in the basal diet could decrease the contents of TG, TC, LDL-C and increase the contents of HDL-C and NO in the serum of chickens. Compared with control group, higher concentration of alfalfa saponins could significantly reduce the contents of TG, TC and LDL-C (P<0.05) and increase the content of HDL-C (P<0.05). NO content of the group adding high concentration of alfalfa in the basal diet was higher than control group by9.47%(P<0.01).Above all, it has a positive effect on the early growth period of Jinghai yellow chickens if the concentration is0.09%, but to some extent,0.03%-0.06%alfalfa saponins can increase the growth performance at late growth stage. At the same time,0.03%-0.09%alfalfa saponins adding in the basal diet can increase slaughter performance differently, improve meat quality and antioxidant status and decrease and blood fat content. Take all factors into account, adding0.06%alfalfa saponins into the basal diet will obtain the best result.