Fatty Acid Content and Oxidative Stability in Eggs and Breast Muscle of Sasso Chickens Fed Different Levels of Dodonaea angustifolia Polyphenol in Flaxseed-Enriched Diets

In chicken diet with dietary fat, adding plant polyphenols as a natural antioxidant is recommended to enhance the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) content and improve oxidative stability in meat and eggs. However, high plant polyphenol doses could act as a pro-oxidant and interfere with the absorption of n-3 PUFAs. The study aimed to determine the effects of Dodoneae angustifolia ( D. angustifolia ) polyphenol levels in flaxseed-enriched diets on fatty acid content and oxidative stability in the meat and eggs of Sasso chickens. Chickens received 0, 200, 500, or 800 mg of D. angustifolia extract/kg diet designated as DA0, DA2, DA5, and DA8 treatments, respectively. Results showed that the breast muscle content of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n-3) in 200 and 500 mg extract/kg diet and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n-3) in 800 mg extract/kg diet increased ( p < 0.05) compared to those who did not receive. Feeding D. angustifolia polyphenol levels had no significant effect on egg yolk n-3 PUFA content. However, a decrease ( p < 0.05) in egg yolk n-6 PUFAs was observed in hens with an increase in the dose of D. angustifolia polyphenol extract. In breast muscle, feeding on a 500 mg extract/kg diet decreased lipid peroxidation ( p < 0.05) compared to the control diet. However, feeding different doses of D. angustifolia extracts had no effect on egg yolk lipid peroxidation.