Increased dietary methionine levels and supplemental L-carnitine do not prevent the development of white striping in broiler chickens

Abstract The present experiment investigated the effect of dietary methionine levels and supplemental L-carnitine on live performance, carcass and organ yields, meat quality attributes, serum lipid metabolites, and occurrence of white striping in broiler chickens. The study comprised of 4 experimental groups with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of dietary methionine levels (100 and 125 % of requirement) and L-carnitine supplementation (0 and 100 mg/kg). Each experimental group comprised of 8 replicates; each replicate randomly received 15 one-d-old broiler chickens. Corn-soybean meal-based basal diets were formulated for 100 % and 125 % dietary methionine levels for starter, grower, finisher, and withdrawal growth phases. Supplemental L-carnitine and/or 125 % dietary methionine levels improved the overall feed conversion ratio of broiler chickens (P = 0.022). Increasing dietary methionine levels increased the breast weight (P = 0.022) and yield (P = 0.023) at d 49. At d 49, L-carnitine supplementation reduced the absolute abdominal fat weight (P = 0.050). Dietary methionine and supplemental L-carnitine did not affect the meat quality and development of white striping at d 39 and 49. While dietary methionine levels had no effect on serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels, L-carnitine supplementation lowered (P = 0.027) the serum total cholesterol levels of broilers. In conclusion, increased dietary methionine levels and L-carnitine supplementation failed to inhibit the development of white striping on breast fillets of broiler chickens.