Dietary supplementation with methionine and/or turmeric oil enhances carcass cuts, economics, meat quality, and antioxidant status in broilers: insights into DNA methyltransferase transcripts.

Dietary methionine (Met) and turmeric oil (TO) may influence downstream gene transcription via DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), which are fundamentally associated with DNA methylation pathways. This study evaluated their individual and interactive effects on carcass traits, meat quality, antioxidant status, gene expression, and economic outcomes in broiler chickens. Two hundred one-day-old male broilers were assigned to four dietary treatments, with five replicate pens of 10 birds each, for 35 days: control (Con),1.0 g DL-methionine/kg (Met), 200 mg turmeric oil/kg (TO), or their combination (Met + TO). Data were analyzed using a 2 × 2 factorial model.The relative mRNA expression profiles of the DNMT gene family (DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B) and antioxidant genes (CAT, SOD, and GPX) were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR

RESULTS

Dietary Met increased breast weight, breast return, return from broiler cuts, total return, and net return. TO increased full and empty gizzard weights (P = 0.023 and 0.041, respectively) but reduced ultimate pH and meat redness (P = 0.033 and 0.017, respectively). In contrast, combined Met and TO supplementation increased production costs without improving net return or economic-efficiency indices. Regarding antioxidant status, a significant Met × TO interaction was observed for both CAT and SOD enzyme activities, with supplemented groups enhancing overall SOD activity, while dietary TO independently up-regulated CAT and GPX expression. Within the DNMTs family, dietary Met up-regulated all members, whereas TO down-regulated DNMT1 and 3A, with a significant interaction stabilizing DNMT3A transcripts close to control levels. In conclusion, targeted Met and TO interventions distinctly modulate DNMT and antioxidant transcripts, supporting metabolic homeostasis, poultry health, and economic returns.