Sun-Dried Versus Blanched Avocado Leaf Meal: Effects on Broiler Chickens’ Carcass Traits, Meat Quality, and Sausage Sensory Attributes

This study evaluated the effects of dietary inclusion of sun-dried and blanched avocado ( Persea americana ) leaf meal (ALM) on carcass characteristics, non-carcass components, meat quality parameters, and sensory attributes of fresh meat and processed sausages in broiler chickens. One hundred and eighty broiler chickens were assigned to nine dietary treatments: control (T1), sun-dried ALM at 0.25% (T2), 0.50% (T3), 0.75% (T4), and 1.00% (T5); and blanched ALM at 0.25% (T6), 0.50% (T7), 0.75% (T8), and 1.00% (T9). At 56 days, birds were slaughtered for evaluation of carcass traits, organ weights, meat quality (pH, water-holding capacity, cooking loss, chilling loss), and sensory evaluation of fresh meat and sausages using a 9-point hedonic scale. Results showed significant treatment effects (p<0.05) on live weight, defeathered weight, and breast pH at 0 and 24 hours post-mortem. Live weight ranged from 2.40 kg (T7) to 3.07 kg (T6). Breast pH at 0 h ranged from 7.24 (T1) to 7.55 (T7), while 24 h pH ranged from 6.50 (T2, T7) to 7.51 (T8). Water-holding capacity showed significant variation (p<0.001), ranging from 14.00% (T7) to 42.00% (T5). Non-carcass organ weights showed no significant differences (p>0.05), indicating no pathological organ enlargement. Fresh meat sensory attributes showed no significant differences across treatments (p>0.05). However, sausage samples exhibited significant variations (p<0.001) in all sensory attributes, with T3, T4, T8, and T9 recording the highest overall acceptability scores (9.00). The severe pH elevation (7.51) in T8 at 24 h post-mortem indicated Dark, Firm, and Dry (DFD) meat condition, attributed to pre-slaughter stress from persin toxicity. Dietary inclusion of sun-dried ALM at 0.5-1.0% and blanched ALM at 0.5-0.75% maintained carcass characteristics and fresh meat sensory quality comparable to control, while significantly enhancing water-holding capacity and sausage sensory acceptability. However, 0.75% blanched ALM induced DFD meat condition, warranting caution at this inclusion level. Both processing methods produced nutritionally viable ALM, with sun-dried ALM at 1.0% and blanched ALM at 0.5-0.75% recommended for optimal meat quality and processed product acceptability.