Huaijin Xiang
Indigenous broiler breeds are increasingly valued for their unique organoleptic attributes, although they typically exhibit suboptimal growth performance and a high propensity for abdominal fat deposition. This study evaluated the effects of dietary resveratrol (0, 250, and 1,000 mg/kg) on the growth performance, carcass traits, and antioxidant status of 252 one-day-old Wenshi Tianlu Black Five broilers over a 51-day period. Resveratrol supplementation increased significantly the average daily gain and decreased the feed-to-gain ratio across the entire trial (p < 0.01) without affecting feed intake. Specifically, 250 mg/kg resveratrol reduced the abdominal fat percentage (p < 0.05), while 1,000 mg/kg resveratrol decreased malondialdehyde level (p < 0.05) and increased the content of total cholesterol in serum (p < 0.01). However, supplementation of 250 mg/kg or 1,000 mg/kg resveratrol showed limited effects on the meat quality (p > 0.05). In conclusion, 250 mg/kg of resveratrol can improve carcass traits, while 1,000 mg/kg of resveratrol showed better effect of the growth performance and antioxidant ability in Wenshi Tianlu Black Five broilers.