Robertas Juodka

This study evaluated the effects of dietary linseed cake on the fatty acid profile of meat and abdominal fat, and on growth performance in broiler chickens. A total of 198 birds were randomly allocated to three groups (66 birds/group). The control group (C) received a standard soybean meal-based feed, while the LIN6 and LIN12 groups were fed diets that were supplemented with 6% and 12% linseed cake, respectively. Linseed cake supplementation reduced saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, increased n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in meat and abdominal fat, and lowered the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio (FDR-adjusted p < 0.05). The 12% inclusion resulted in a more pronounced accumulation of n-3 PUFAs—4.3–5.0 times higher than the control—while 6% inclusion increased n-3 PUFAs by 2.8–3.3 times (FDR-adjusted p < 0.05). However, 12% inclusion negatively affected growth performance, reducing body weight by 9.9% and feed intake by 10.4% at 42 days (p < 0.05), whereas the 6% inclusion had no adverse impact (p < 0.05). These results indicate that 6% linseed cake represents the optimal practical inclusion level, effectively enhancing the n-3 PUFA profile of broiler meat and abdominal fat without compromising growth, while higher inclusion levels may impair production performance.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of dietary hempseed or camelina cakes on the fatty acid profiles of intramuscular fat in quail. A total of 189 one-day-old quail were allocated to three dietary treatment groups. The diet of the control (C) group was supplemented with 10% rapeseed cake, whereas the rapeseed in experimental 1 (HE) and experimental 2 (CA) groups was replaced by, respectively, hempseed cake and camelina cake in the same proportions. The length of the study was 42 days. Dietary enrichment with camelina cake increased the α-linolenic fatty acid (ALA) content in the meat of CA group 2.5 times (p < 0.01). The muscle tissues of CA contained 3.4–3 times more eicosapentaenoic acid (p < 0.01), 1.2 times more docosapentaenoic acid (p < 0.05–p < 0.01) and 1.3 times more docosahexaenoic acid (p < 0.01) and, thus, demonstrated the increase in total long chain (LC) n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (p < 0.01) and total n-3 PUFA (p < 0.01) compared with the C group. The ALA and total n-3 PUFA content in the breast and leg meat of HE-treated quail were, respectively, 1.3 and 1.1 times higher (p < 0.01) than in the C group but the accumulation was lower compared to the CA group. The content of γ-linolenic acid was found to be 1.21–1.31 times higher in HE quail meat (p < 0.01). However, hempseed cake supplementation had a negative effect on growth performance. The supplementation of quail feed with camelina or hempseed cakes resulted in the production of healthy meat with an increased n-3 PUFA content.

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of dietary hempseed or camelina cakes rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on the fatty acid profile of liver lipids and carcass characteristics of ducks. A total of 108 one-day-old male ducks were allocated to 3 dietary treatments. The Control (C) group diet was supplemented with 15 and 20% rapeseed cake from days 1 to 23 and 24 to 49, respectively, whereas the rapeseed in Experimental 1 (HE) and Experimental 2 (CA) was replaced by hempseed cake and camelina cake in the same proportion, respectively. Inclusion of dietary hempseed cake resulted in higher carcass yield (P < 0.05) and growth performance (P < 0.05) but did not increase the proportion of liver n-3 PUFA (P > 0.05). Dietary enrichment with camelina cake reduced carcass yield (P < 0.05), feed intake (P < 0.01) but had no significant effect on the body weight and feed conversion ratio (P > 0.05) of ducks. The amount of n-3 PUFA and long-chain (LC) n-3 PUFA in the CA group was 2.47 and 2.35 times (P < 0.01) higher compared with that of the C group, respectively. The inclusion of dietary camelina has helped to produce a healthier human nutrition liver with an n-6/n-3n PUFA ratio of 3.38 .

Camelina seed or seed processing derivatives, i.e., cake, are cheap alternative protein feed ingredients for meat type poultry. Camelina is an oilseed crop containing 36.8% oil in seeds, while in the cake the oil content accounts for 6.4–22.7%. If compared with other Brassicaceae family plants, camelina is distinguished by a unique fatty acid composition, because the content of α-linolenic fatty acid (C18:3n-3; ALA) varies from 25.9 to 36.7% of total fatty acids. The total tocopherol content in camelina oil and cake are, respectively, 751–900 and 687 mg/kg. Addition of camelina to poultry nutrition increases the amount of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in poultry meat and liver. The content of ALA in chicken muscles increases by 1.3–4.4, 2.4–2.9 and 2.3–7.2 times after supplementing chicken diets with, respectively, camelina cake (8–24%), seed (10%), and oil (2.5–6.9%) in comparison with the control group. Camelina cake (5–25%), seed (10%) and oil (2.5–4%) inclusion in chicken diets results in 1.5–3.9 times higher total n-3 PUFA content in muscles and liver. Meanwhile, supplementation of chicken diets with camelina oil (4–6.9%), seed (5–10%) and cake (5–25%) results in, respectively, a 1.8–8.4, 1.6–1.9 and 1.3–2.9 times lower n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in muscles, and 3.29 times lower n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in the liver. After inclusion of different amounts of camelina cake in chicken diets, a healthy for human nutrition n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio from 1.6 to 2.9 was found in chicken muscles.

Camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz) and hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seed cakes are rich sources of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). This study was carried out to investigate the effects of Camelina and hempseed cakes in the diet of ducks on the intramuscular fatty acid profile. Male ducks (n = 99) were randomly allocated to 3 dietary treatments: Control or C group (wheat–soybean-meal–barley-based diet with 15–20 % rapeseed cake), Experimental 1 or HEM group (with hempseed cake added at 15–20 % instead of rapeseed cake), and Experimental 2 or CAM group (with Camelina cake added at 15–20 % instead of rapeseed cake). All groups received the diets ad libitum. At 49 days of age, six ducks from each group were slaughtered for analysis of the fatty acid composition in the breast and leg muscles. Feeding ducks with the diet enriched with Camelina cake resulted in significantly higher amounts of n-3 α-linolenic fatty acid (ALA) (P ≤ 0.01) and total n-3 PUFA (P ≤ 0.01) in breast and leg muscles, while eicosatrienoic fatty acid (ETE) (P ≤ 0.01) was higher in the leg muscle. The ratios of n-6 ∕ n-3 and linoleic ∕ α-linolenic fatty acids (P ≤ 0.01) decreased significantly compared to the Control and HEM groups of ducks. Feeding ducks with the diet enriched with hempseed cake resulted in significantly higher amounts of linoleic (LA) (P ≤ 0.01), total n-6 PUFA (P ≤ 0.05–P ≤ 0.01) and n-6 γ-linolenic (GLA) (P ≤ 0.01) fatty acid. Our study showed that using Camelina cake as supplementation in duck diets opens a possibility to develop functional food, i.e. meat with a significantly higher content of ALA, total n-3 PUFA and the lowest ratios of n-6 ∕ n-3 fatty acids in ducks' muscles. A duck diet with hempseed cake produces exceptional-quality meat with an enriched content of n-6 GLA.

A study was carried out to determine the effects of soybean meal replacement with different amounts of blue lupine in the diets of turkeys on the growth rate, anatomic carcass dissection data, chemical indicators of breast and thigh muscles and the content of tryptophan and oxyprolin. In total three hundred and sixty cross BIG-6 turkeys were allotted to two control and ten experimental groups of 30 one-day-old turkeys. The control group of turkeys was fed the diet containing soybean meal, whereas the trial groups were offered different amounts (from 20 to 30%) of lupines. Group 4 and 5 were additionally given probiotic mixture Bio Plus 2B and allzyme SSF, respectively. Soybean oil replacement from 20 to 30% lupine in the diet had no influence on the growth rate, dressing percentage, edible parts and abdominal fat content of turkeys. The study indicated that lupines in the diet of turkeys had a different effect on the meat quality of different genders. Lupines did not have any negative effect on the meat quality of female turkeys and 30% lupines even improved the protein value index of breast muscles. However, 20-30 and 25-30% lupines in male turkey diets lowered dry matter and protein contents in breast muscles but had no negative influence on the main quality indicators in thigh muscles. The results of the study showed that the negative effect on the male breast muscle quality might be avoided using Bio Plus 2B or allzyme SSF additives in the male diets containing 30% lupines.

A study was carried out to determine the efficiency of soybean oil meal replacement with increasing amount of peas (from 10% to 40%) in the diets for turkeys on anatomic carcass dissection and chemical indicators of breast, shoulder, thigh and shin muscles, physical indicators of breast muscles and the content of tryptophan and oxyprolin. The anatomic dissection of carcasses indicated that male turkeys fed peas had from 0.28% to 0.61% (P > 0.05–P < 0.05) less shoulder muscles, whereas female turkeys of the same groups had from 0.09 to 0.31% (P > 0.05–P < 0.05) more abdominal fat compared with the turkeys the diets of which did not contain any peas. The chemical analysis of meat showed that feeding the diets with the increasing amount of peas resulted in 0.69–0.82% lower amount of fat in female shoulder muscle (P > 0.05–P < 0.05). Soybean oil meal replacement with field peas in broiler turkey diets had no significant influence on the other anatomic indicators of the carcass and the other physicochemical indicators of meat as well as the content of trypthophan and oxyprolin in the muscles. Our study indicated that soybean oil meal replacement with peas up to 20% from 0 to 4 weeks, 25% from 5 to 8 weeks, 30% from 9 to 12 weeks and 40% from 13 to 16 weeks, and with 100% soybean oil meal replacement at the final stage had no negative influence on the carcass qualities of broiler turkeys.

Lithuania committed itself to conservation of its genetic resources by signing the Conservation Convention on Biological Diversity in Rio de Janeiro on June 11, 1992. In 1995 FAO recognised the Vishtines goose breed as being monitored internationally and included into the FAO Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources and the World Watch List for Domestic Animal Diversity. Vishtines geese are rather large in size with a medium-sized head, blue eyes and straight short orange beak. The arched neck is of medium length. The breast is broad and deep. The back is straight, horizontal and the shanks are long and orange. There are one or two skin folds on the abdomen. The plumage is white. The final body weight of the goose and the gander of this breed reaches 5–6 kg and 6–7 kg respectively. Numerous scientific studies have been made with these geese in Lithuania. Biochemical protein polymorphism and microsatellite analysis tests with the goose breeds grown in Lithuania indicated that Vishtines goose breed is unique and can be distinguished by biochemical genetic individuality.