# Bioactive Compounds in Breast Meat of Broiler Chickens Fed with Black Soldier Fly Wholesmeal
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Antioxidant Activity  
The antioxidant capacity of chicken breast, as determined using three in vitro antioxidant tests, is shown in Figure 2.  
Antioxidant activity provides valuable information regarding the functional properties of meat. However, it cannot be evaluated using a single method, as meat is a complex and heterogeneous food composed of multifunctional natural antioxidant compounds. Over the decades, numerous methods have been developed to test the antioxidant activity of food matrices [66]. The percentage of inhibition of ABTS radical action, the FRAP test to estimate the ferric reducing antioxidant power, and the number of thiol groups, i.e., sulfhydryl \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline  & & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**\% of Total FAME**} \\ \hline
**Parameter** & **C** & **HI5** & & & **HI10** \\ \hline  & \(\mu\) & **SD** & \(\mu\) & **SD** & \(\mu\) & **SD** \\ \hline PUFA & 28.39  & 1.40 \\ C18:1 n-9 & 28.04  & 1.79 & 21.58  & 0.15 & 1.18  & 0.01 & 0.19  & 0.04 & 0.31  & 0.15 & 1.18  & 0.02 & 0.37  & 0.04 \\ CLA & 0.06 [FOOTNOTE:]Footnote : _a,b,c_ Means within a row with different superscripts differ (\(p<0.05\)). C = standard diet; HI5 = 5% of level inclusion in diet with BSF; HI0 = 10% of level inclusion in diet with BSF; PUFA = polyunsaturated fatty acid; ALA = \(\alpha\)-lionic acid; EPA = Eicosapentaenoic acid; DHA = Docosahexaenoicbenzoic acid.[ENDFOOTNOTE] & 0.04 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 5: Functional fatty acids (% of total FAME) in the breast meat of broiler chickens in the control, HI5 and HI10 groups. groups, using the DTNB reagent, which forms 5-thionitrobenzoic acid and mixed disulfide, were considered in this study. Overall, the control chicken meat showed an antioxidant activity equal to 56.11% I, 1.86 mMTE/g, and 54.95 nmol -SH groups/mg of protein, which is a desirable characteristic that increases the nutritional value of meat. These results are consistent with those of [PERSON] et al. [67] and [PERSON] et al. [68] for broiler meat. Effect of BSF supplementation on ABTS and FRAP antioxidant activity: The ABTS values were significantly influenced by the different levels of HI inclusion (\(p<0.05\)), with percentages of 56.11% in the control group (C), 58.61% in the HI5 group, and 60.42% in the HI10 group. Overall, dietary supplementation with HI powder enhanced ABTS radical-scavenging activity, with the highest effect observed in the HI10 group, followed by HI5 and the control group. The FRAP assay values were consistent with the ABTS values. In particular, a significantly higher value was found in HI10 (2.19 \(\pm\) 0.15 mMTE/g; \(p<0.05\)), with an increase in antioxidant activity of 15%, while no significant difference was observed between HI5 and C. Oxidative stress occurs when there is a strong imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the volume of antioxidant systems [69]. Insets used as a supplement in animal nutrition, especially for broiler chickens, are an innovative and natural food strategy that contributes to the transfer of natural antioxidant components into muscle tissues [70]. Insets are a rich source of vitamins E and C, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds that enrich meat with beneficial compounds [71]. Many researchers have investigated the potential use of BSF in animal feed. [PERSON] et al. [72] reported that the use of BSF and pupae could be a functional source  
Figure 2: Antioxidant activity, thiols, ABTS, and FRAP in breast meat of broiler chickens, distinctly by group: control, HI5 (5% of inclusion level in diet with BLSF), and HI10 (10% of inclusion level in diet with BLSF). \({}^{\text{a,b,c}}\) Means within a row with different superscripts differ (\(p<0.05\)). with antioxidant properties; [PERSON] et al. [73] studied the antioxidant capacity of BSF derivatives and confirmed the removal of ROS. [PERSON] et al. [5] instead demonstrated the presence of functional proteins and peptides with antioxidant properties following enzymatic digestion of BSF.