Effects of dietary Japanese green tea powder on growth, meat ingredient and lipid accumulation in broilers

Broilers were given diets containing varying levels (0, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0%) of Japanese green tea powder ad libitum from 3 to 10 weeks of age. Growth, feed intake, serum profile, dressing meat, giblets weight, meat color and meat quality were estimated. Body weight at 10 weeks of age decreased in a dose dependent manner as dietary Japanese green tea powder increased. A similar tendency was observed in feed in take. The difference in feed conversion between the control and 5.0% Japanese green tea powder groups was 0.61. Dressing percentage of total breast and thigh meats in broilers fed the 5.0% Japanese green tea powder diet showed the lowest value. Abdominal fat weight decreased as the increase of Japanese green tea powder and was well correlated with body weight (r=0.78). Breast meat color in redness (a value) and yellowness (b value) and thigh meat color in redness were linearly increased with supplement of Japanese green tea powder. The results obtained here suggested that supplements of Japanese green tea powder to broiler diets suppresses growth of broiler, but simultaneously reduces abdominal fat accumulation and improves meat color.