Investigation of quality characteristics of meat and edible internal organs of broilers fed with different doses of royal jelly

In this study, the effect of adding lyophilized royal jelly to broiler diets on carcass performance and meat quality was in vestigated. Ross 308 broiler males were divided in to four groups for this purpose, with the control group fed a basal diet and the other groups fed diets with royal jelly added at different levels (25-50 and 75 ppm) ad-libitum. Broilers were slaughtered on days 35 and 42 and then subjected to analysis after rigormortis. Carcass, internal organ, and carcass part weights, as well as the composition and technological properties of the meat, were examined. It was determined that the addition of royal jelly to the diet did not cause any changes in carcass weight sandinternal organ weights. Royal jelly did not affect the protein values and dry matter values of breast and thigh meats. However, an increase in water holding capacity was observed. It exhibited an effect in increasing pH values (P<0.05). Cooking losses decreased in breast meats on days 35 and 42, while cooking losses in creased in thigh meats (P<0.05). Water holding capacity in creased in breast meats. Particularly, the water holding capacity was influenced by the added royal jelly and showed an in creasing trend. Although no difference were observed in the color values of the samples, in creases were only determined in the a* value. Inconclusion, the addition of royal jelly to broiler diets did not affect carcass weights in terms of productivity, but it brought about positive developments in the technological properties of the meat. KEYWORDS: Broiler, Performance, Royal Jelly, Carcass, Meat Quality