To determine the influence of glycine-Cu chelates (Gly-Cu) on chemical composition and sensory characteristic of chickens meat, two hundred of Ross 308 broilers were fed diets containing 16 mg kg(-1) of copper sulfate (S-Cu; control group) or 16, 8 and 4 mg/kg of Cu-glycine chelate (Gly-Cu). The chemical composition was determined in crude and prepared (cooked and grilled) breast and thigh samples. No significant influence of Gly-Cu on the content of the protein, fat and ash in the breast meat was found. Substituting S-Cu with Gly-Cu at different doses in feed did not significantly modify the fatty acids profile of the meat. The breast meat from chickens administered with Gly-Cu contained significantly less cholesterol than that in S-Cu. No different effect of the experimental agent was observed regarding the content of Cu, Zn and Ca in the breast meat, while in chickens from all the groups administered Gly-Cu there was more significantly Fe (P < 0.01) in comparison with the S-Cu group. The thigh meat revealed significantly (P < 0.01) higher levels of Zn and Ca in comparison with the 16 mg S-Cu group. No significant effect of the diet on the sensory characteristics of the meat was observed.
Keywords: Breast meat; Gly-Cu chelates; Meat quality; Sensory characteristic; Thigh meat.