Effects of supplementing broiler diets with a combination of fermented red ginseng marc powder and red-koji on thigh meat quality of broiler chick during storage

ABSTRACT We assessed the effects of supplementing broiler diets with a combination of fermented red ginseng marc powder and red-koji on thigh meat quality of broiler chick during storage. Broilers (n = 120) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: control or treatment with 1% fermented red ginseng marc combined with red-koji. There were four replicates per group, each comprising 15 birds (10 male and 5 female). Neither the dietary supplementation group nor the number of storage days had a significant (p > 0.05) effect on meat pH. However, TBARS, a measure of lipid oxidation, was significantly affected (p < 0.05) by both the number of storage days and the dietary supplementation, with reduced TBARS activity noted in the treatment group after 7 days of storage. There was no significant impact (p > 0.05) on the lightness (L*) of meat in group after 1 and 7 day of storage (included T1 group), or redness (a*) of meat in group at 1 through 7 days of storage, whereas the yellowness (b*) of meat in both groups increased significantly (p < 0.05) with an increase in storage duration. Our results suggest that supplementing broiler diets with fermented red ginseng marc combined red-koji powder does not affect meat color, even after storage. We conclude that dietary supplementation with 1% fermented red ginseng powder combined with red-koji can reduce lipid oxidation in broiler thigh meat after 7 days of storage.