Dietary zinc supplementation in breeding pigeons improves the carcass traits of squabs through regulating antioxidant capacity and myogenic regulatory factor expression.

The purpose of this experiment was to explore the effects of zinc supplementation in breeding pigeons diet on carcass traits, meat quality, antioxidant capacity and mRNA expressions of myogenic regulatory factors of squabs. A total of 120 healthy White King pigeons were randomly assigned to 5 treatments, each involving 8 replicates. The experiment lasted for 46 d (18-d incubation period of eggs and 28-d growth period of squabs). The 5 groups were 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 mg/kg zinc addition. Results showed that the 28-d body weight, breast muscle yield, zinc content in crop milk and myogenic factor 6 (MyF6) abundance of breast muscle were linearly increased (P < 0.050), but the abdominal fat yield linearly decreased (P = 0.040) with increasing dietary zinc supplementation. Both the linear (P < 0.050) and quadratic responses (P < 0.001) were observed in copper zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in liver and breast muscle. The 28-d body weight was increased by 90 mg/kg zinc supplementation (P < 0.05), and there is no significant difference between 90 and 120 mg/kg zinc addition. The breast muscle yield, Cu-Zn SOD and T-AOC contents in breast muscle and liver, zinc contents in crop milk and breast muscle, MyF6 mRNA expression in breast muscle were higher (P < 0.05) in the group supplemented with 120 mg/kg zinc than the control. The abdominal fat yield was numerically lowest, and MDA contents in breast muscle and liver were significantly lowest in the group fed 120 mg/kg zinc (P < 0.05). However, the meat quality traits were not affected (P > 0.05) by zinc supplementation, except for shear force. It should be stated dietary zinc supplementation at the level of 120 mg/kg for breeding pigeons increased body weight and breast muscle yield of squabs, which may be associated with the up-regulating MyF6 mRNA expression and antioxidant capacity in liver and breast muscle.