Adding diphenyl diselenide in the diets of quails improves the quality of meat

Objective. Diphenyl diselenide (Ph2Se2) is an organic selenium compound that is known for its antioxidant characteristics. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether Ph2Se2 in quail (Coturnix japonica) diets influences the oxidative/antioxidant status and meat quality. Materials and methods. Four diets (0; 0.3; 0.6; 0.9 ppm Ph2Se2) were provided to 56 male quails (Coturnix japonica) distributed in a completely randomized design with 14 repetitions in order to check whether (PhSe)2 would change their blood and tissue oxidative/antioxidant status, which would lead to an improvement in the meat quality. Results. Adding Ph2Se2 in diets led to increased antioxidant activity of enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase, which consequently reduced oxidative levels in blood and tissues. Besides that, we observed an improvement in the quail meat quality; in other words, we observed an increased ability to hold water, a reduction in water loss from cooking, and reduced intensity of the yellow color in the breasts of birds that were fed with Ph2Se2. Conclusions. Therefore, we concluded that the antioxidant defense improvement in tissues that was provided by Ph2Se2 has a beneficial effect on meat quality.