The addition of guanidino acetic acid with different protein levels in feed on the growth performance and drumstick meat quality of broiler chicken

Guanidino acetic acid, or GAA, is the only direct precursor of creatinine and is involved in biological processes in the cellular energy of vertebrates. Creatine will be used in muscle and target cells to be phosphorylated into phosphocreatine utilizing creatine kinase, which functions to buffer ATP changes. GAA is involved in the biosynthesis of cellular energy for growth and muscle performance of broiler chickens, and it is also claimed to be capable of conserving arginine. This study employed a 2x3 factorial experimental design with two levels of protein (i.e., high and low) and three levels of GAA (i.e., 0 g/ton, 600 g/ton, and 1,200 g/ton) fed to 1,176 Indian River strain broiler chickens that were reared for 35 days. The R program was used to analyze the data, and if there was a significant difference, the Duncan multiple range test was performed. The results demonstrated that adding GAA on feed with different protein levels did not improve broiler performance. However, the addition of 1,200 g/ton GAA in low protein could reduce the cholesterol levels of broiler drumstick meat. Meanwhile, adding 600 g/ton GAA combined with the low protein treatment had the highest tenderness value. Therefore, to achieve the ideal proportion and enhance the performance and quality of broiler meat, GAA can continue to be added to broiler chicken feed. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.