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Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of lipid oxidation
in the meat of free-range broilers feeding on grasshoppers in alpine rangeland on
the Tibetan Plateau. Eighty 28-d-old Qinjiaoma male broilers were introduced into
a rangeland where there was a dense population of grasshoppers (PB). Control birds
were reared under intensive conditions and given a maize-soybean diet. At 91 d of
age, 24 birds from each treatment were slaughtered. Fresh breast and thigh meats were
packaged and refrigerated for determination. The results indicate that rearing conditions,
which included a diet rich in grasshoppers for PB broilers, significantly (P < 0.05)
affected α-tocopherol content, total iron, heme iron, and nonheme iron content in
the muscle of both the breast and leg. Rearing system and diet also had an important
effect on antioxidant activity and lipid oxidation during refrigerated storage. This
influence changed with storage time between different tissues. The activities of glutathione
peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in the muscle of chicken breasts or legs from
PB broilers were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those from the controls, but
no significant (P > 0.05) differences were found for the activities of catalase between
the PB broilers and the controls. In conclusion, the meat in free-range broilers feeding
on grasshoppers has more antioxidative potential and longer storage life.