# Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Perilla Seed Meal on Growth Performance, Plasma Biochemistry, and Breast Muscle Fatty Acid Composition in Sansui Ducks from 4 to 8 Weeks of Age

## TL;DR

Adding perilla seed meal to duck feed improves the nutritional quality of duck meat without affecting growth or health.

## Contribution

Demonstrates that up to 20% perilla seed meal can be safely included in duck diets to enhance meat fatty acid profiles.

## Key findings

- Up to 20% perilla seed meal inclusion had no adverse effects on duck growth or carcass traits.
- Perilla seed meal increased n-3 fatty acids in duck breast meat and reduced the n-6/n-3 ratio.
- Plasma biochemistry markers like albumin and cholesterol improved at 10% perilla seed meal inclusion.

## Abstract

The poultry industry has been increasingly seeking sustainable and cost-effective protein sources for animal feed. Perilla seed meal (PSM), a by-product of oil extraction, is rich in protein and beneficial fatty acids, making it a promising alternative that can partially replace conventional ingredients like soybean meal. In this study, we investigated the effects of including different levels of PSM (0, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) in the diets of Sansui ducks from 4 to 8 weeks of age. We found that even at the highest inclusion level (20%), the ducks’ growth and body composition remained unchanged. However, the fatty acid profile of their breast meat was significantly improved, with higher levels of health-promoting n-3 fatty acids. These results suggested that PSM could be safely used in duck feed to enhance the nutritional quality of duck meat without compromising growth performance, supporting the development of more sustainable poultry production systems.

This study evaluated the effects of dietary perilla seed meal (PSM) inclusion on growth performance, plasma biochemistry, and breast muscle fatty acid composition in Sansui ducks (Sansui Sheldrake ducks) from 4 to 8 wks of age. A total of 320 male ducks, 29 d old, were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatments (0, 5%, 10%, 15%, or 20% PSM) with 8 replicates each group and 8 ducks per replicate. Results showed that PSM inclusion up to 20% did not significantly (p > 0.05) affect body weight, daily gain, feed intake, feed-to-gain ratio, or carcass traits. Plasma albumin, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were elevated at 10% PSM inclusion (p < 0.05), while liver function markers remained unaffected (p > 0.05). As expected, dietary PSM supplementation dose-dependently enriched breast muscle n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, including α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid (p < 0.05), and reduced the n-6/n-3 ratio (p < 0.05). These findings indicated that PSM could be incorporated into duck diets at levels up to 20% to enhance the nutritional value of duck meat without adverse effects on growth performance and health, supporting its use as a functional feed ingredient in sustainable duck production.