Evaluation of enzymatically treated Artemisia annua L. on growth performance, meat quality, and oxidative stability of breast and thigh muscles in broilers

Abstract An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of including enzymatically treated Artemisia annua L. (EA) in broiler diets on growth performance, meat quality, and oxidative stability of breast and thigh muscles. A total of 256 one-d-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly allotted into four groups with eight replicates of eight birds each. Broilers in the four groups were offered basal diet supplemented with 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 g/kg EA during the 42-d experiment, respectively. The ADG, ADFI, and feed/gain ratio (F:G) were measured at 42 d of age. Breast and thigh muscle samples from eight birds per treatment were obtained at 42 d to determine meat quality, free radical scavenging activity, and lipid peroxidation. All treatment groups had similar ADG, ADFI, and F:G during the 42 d experiment (P > 0.05). Drip loss at 24 h and shearing force of breast muscle were linearly (P