| Summary: | The present study evaluated effects of β-sitosterol on growth performance, meat quality, oxidative status, and mitochondrial biogenesis of breast muscle in broilers. One-day-old chicks were allocated to five treatments of six replicates. Broilers were fed a basal diet supplemented either with 0 (control), 40, 60, 80, or 100 mg/kg β-sitosterol for 42 days. β-sitosterol linearly and quadratically reduced feed/gain ratio, lightness<sub>24h</sub> and cooking loss<sub>24h</sub> in breast muscle, whereas 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity of breast muscle followed an opposite trend. β-sitosterol linearly decreased drip loss<sub>24h</sub> and malondialdehyde content, whereas linearly increased pH<sub>24h</sub>, superoxide dismutase activity, and mRNA abundances of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PCG-1α) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) in breast muscle. Compared with control, levels of β-sitosterol higher than 40 mg/kg reduced feed/gain ratio, muscular lightness<sub>24h</sub>, cooking loss<sub>24h</sub>, and malondialdehyde level, whereas increased muscular 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity, and mRNA abundances (except 60 mg/kg) of PCG-1α and TFAM. Eighty milligram/kilogram β-sitosterol increased muscular pH<sub>24h</sub> and superoxide dismutase activity, but decreased its drip loss<sub>24h</sub>. Therefore, β-sitosterol could improve growth performance and meat quality, oxidative status, and mitochondrial biogenesis of breast muscle in broilers. Furthermore, supplementation level of 80 mg/kg β-sitosterol is recommended for broiler diets.
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