Oxidative stress in broiler chicken and its consequences on meat quality

Oxidative stress is inevitable in poultry production, and it affects the physiological, behavioral and biochemical status of growing chicken which ultimately deteriorates meat quality. Appearance, texture, juiciness, tenderness and odor are responsible for the overall meat quality as they are essential perceptible features, which determine the consumer’s judgment. Overproduction of free radicals including reactive oxygen species (ROS) disturbs the mitochondrial function in living cells. During high-temperature mitochondrial substrate oxidation and electron transport chain (ETC) activity increases. This increased activity results in excessive production of superoxide that oxidizes protein and lipid contents in muscle tissues. By oxidizing protein and lipid, ROS spoils the nutritive quality of chicken meat. High ambient temperature is one of the major contributing factors that enhance oxidative stress. Poultry feed with anti-oxidant supplementation and innovative processing techniques can help the poultry industry to overcome oxidative stress.