Optimizing n-3 PUFA dietary enrichment in slow-growing Korat chickens using lipid-based nanoparticles: Effects on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, meat fatty acid composition, and blood biochemical parameters.

This research aimed to investigate the optimization of lipid-based nanoparticles to improve the utilization of n-3 PUFA source in chicken diets. Three groups of slow-growing Korat chickens were reared under the same conditions and fed a diet containing 6 % rice bran oil (RBO, control group), 3 % tuna oil (3 % TO) and 3 % tuna oil in targeted lipid-based nanoparticles (3 % TO-TNP). The growth performance, carcass composition, meat quality, fatty acid profile of breast and thigh meat, hematological and plasma biochemical parameters were evaluated. The dietary lipid source had no effect on the growth performance, carcass composition, or breast and thigh meat quality (P > 0.05). Compared to the control group, the 3 % TO and 3 % TO-TNP groups exhibited lower levels of C18:2n-6 (linoleic acid) and n-6 PUFA (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between groups in the C18:3n-3 (ALA) level in breast and thigh meat, whereas the levels of C20:5n-3 (EPA) and C22:6n-3 (DHA) were higher in both TO groups. However, due to the high temperature required during the drying step of the nanoparticle synthesis process, n-3 PUFA enrichment was more efficient when TO was directly incorporated into the diet than when using targeted nanoparticles. Nevertheless, there was no difference between the 3 % TO and 3 % TO-TNP groups in the n-6/n-3 ratio (P > 0.05). The hemoglobin and hematocrit values were higher in 3 % TO-TNP than in the other groups (P < 0.05). In the plasma, HDL level was reduced in the TO groups compared to the control group (P < 0.05) suggesting a lower cholesterol hepatic synthesis and export. The TO groups had a higher activity of alanine amino transferase but a lower creatinine content than the control group (P < 0.05). The uric acid content was higher in 3 % TO-TNP group than in the 3 % TO group (P < 0.05) but no different compared with the control group. However, the values obtained for the hematological and biochemistry parameters measured in blood and plasma were within the normal range for chickens. To conclude, the supplementation of lipid-based nanoparticles allowed for change the fatty acid composition of chicken meat without any negative effect on production and health status of chickens.