Effect of beta-carotene and vitamin E on oxidative stability in leg meat of broilers fed different supplemental fats.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of dietary fat (6% lard and sunflower and olive oil) and supplementation of alpha-tocopheryl acetate or beta-carotene on vitamin E content and lipid oxidation in raw, cooked, and chilled-stored broiler leg meat. Vitamin E increased its tissue level, reducing lipid oxidation. The oxidative stability of leg meat tended to decrease with dietary sunflower oil. Effects of beta-carotene on vitamin E levels and oxidation depended on dietary fat and its concentration in feed, decreasing vitamin E, mainly at 50 ppm. beta-Carotene at 15 ppm acted as antioxidant in fresh and cooked meat in the sunflower and olive oil diets. However, in stored meat, beta-carotene at 50 ppm increased TBARS, probably due to a decrease in vitamin E content and direct prooxidant effects per se. It is suggested that the antioxidant effect of beta-carotene requires the presence of vitamin E in tissues.