1- University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Kerman, Iran
Abstract: (342 Views)
Extended Abstract
Background: Many factors, including disease and stress, can suppress the immune function of broilers and threaten their health. Vitamins A and E are fat-soluble vitamins that play an important role in the production, growth, and protection of tissues and cell membranes, cell proliferation and differentiation, and embryonic development. They are also effective in modulating the immune response, preserving the blood serum and tissues, and reducing the inflammatory response. The antioxidant role of these vitamin supplements has been previously proven by researchers. In addition to improving growth and immunity, these vitamins can increase the oxidation stability of poultry meat by preventing oxidative damage. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of adding vitamin E and A supplements to broiler diets on the growth performance, immune response, and meat quality and stability of broilers.
Methods: This experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design on 160 one-day-old Ross 308 male broilers with four treatments, four replicates, and 10 chicks per replication. Experimental treatments included T1: a corn-soybean diet (control treatment without a supplement), T2: a basal diet + 250 mg of vitamin E, T3: a basal diet + 1500 IU of vitamin A, T4: a basal diet + 250 mg of vitamin E, and 1500 IU of vitamin A. Diets were formulated isocaloric and isonitrogenous, and then vitamin A and E supplements were added to the experimental diets. The performance traits, such as feed intake and body weight gain, were recorded for three periods, including starter (1-10 days), grower (11-24 days), and finisher (25-42 days), followed by determining the feed conversion ratio (FCR). The Newcastle disease vaccination was done at 7 and 21 days of age, and then blood samples were gathered at 28 days of age to measure the antibody production. The hemagglutination inhibition method was used to determine the antibody titer against the Newcastle disease agent. Blood samples were collected in heparin tubes to determine the number of heterophils and lymphocytes, and a blood smear was prepared after homogenizing the sample. Blood cells were fixed with methanol and stained with the Giemsa solution. A hundred cells were counted to measure the number of heterophils and lymphocytes. Two birds per replicate with a body weight close to the average of each cage were slaughtered at the end of the experiment. After slaughter, the breast and thigh were separated from the carcass, and part of them was refrigerated to measure quality parameters, and the other part was frozen to measure malondialdehyde. Meat quality characteristics, including water holding capacity, cooking loss, dripping loss, and meat pH, were measured one day after slaughter. The content of meat malondialdehyde (thiobarbituric acid test) was measured at intervals of 30 and 45 days after slaughter.
Results: The results showed that the effect of adding vitamins A and E was significant on feed intake, body weight gain, and FCR during the grower, finisher, and whole periods (P < 0.05). The addition of vitamins A and E increased feed intake and body weight gain and decreased FCR (P < 0.05). The effect of vitamins A and E addition was significant on antibody production, lymphocytes and heterophils percentage, and the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (P < 0.05). The supplementation of vitamins A and E significantly increased antibody production and the percentage of lymphocytes compared to decreases in the heterophil percentage and the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (P < 0.05), and the highest antibody production was seen in broilers fed with both vitamins (P < 0.05). The addition of vitamin supplements decreased meat cooking loss and dripping loss, while it increased water holding capacity (P < 0.05). The effect of treatments was not significant on meat pH (P > 0.05). The addition of vitamins A and E decreased the malondialdehyde content in the thigh and breast meat 45 days after slaughter (P < 0.05), and the lowest malondialdehyde content was seen in broilers fed with both vitamins A and E (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: It is concluded that adding 1,500 IU of vitamin A and 250 mg of vitamin E to the diet can improve growth performance, immune response, and meat quality and stability in broilers.
Background: Many factors, including disease and stress, can suppress the immune function of broilers and threaten their health. Vitamins A and E are fat-soluble vitamins that play an important role in the production, growth, and protection of tissues and cell membranes, cell proliferation and differentiation, and embryonic development. They are also effective in modulating the immune response, preserving the blood serum and tissues, and reducing the inflammatory response. The antioxidant role of these vitamin supplements has been previously proven by researchers. In addition to improving growth and immunity, these vitamins can increase the oxidation stability of poultry meat by preventing oxidative damage. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of adding vitamin E and A supplements to broiler diets on the growth performance, immune response, and meat quality and stability of broilers.
Methods: This experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design on 160 one-day-old Ross 308 male broilers with four treatments, four replicates, and 10 chicks per replication. Experimental treatments included T1: a corn-soybean diet (control treatment without a supplement), T2: a basal diet + 250 mg of vitamin E, T3: a basal diet + 1500 IU of vitamin A, T4: a basal diet + 250 mg of vitamin E, and 1500 IU of vitamin A. Diets were formulated isocaloric and isonitrogenous, and then vitamin A and E supplements were added to the experimental diets. The performance traits, such as feed intake and body weight gain, were recorded for three periods, including starter (1-10 days), grower (11-24 days), and finisher (25-42 days), followed by determining the feed conversion ratio (FCR). The Newcastle disease vaccination was done at 7 and 21 days of age, and then blood samples were gathered at 28 days of age to measure the antibody production. The hemagglutination inhibition method was used to determine the antibody titer against the Newcastle disease agent. Blood samples were collected in heparin tubes to determine the number of heterophils and lymphocytes, and a blood smear was prepared after homogenizing the sample. Blood cells were fixed with methanol and stained with the Giemsa solution. A hundred cells were counted to measure the number of heterophils and lymphocytes. Two birds per replicate with a body weight close to the average of each cage were slaughtered at the end of the experiment. After slaughter, the breast and thigh were separated from the carcass, and part of them was refrigerated to measure quality parameters, and the other part was frozen to measure malondialdehyde. Meat quality characteristics, including water holding capacity, cooking loss, dripping loss, and meat pH, were measured one day after slaughter. The content of meat malondialdehyde (thiobarbituric acid test) was measured at intervals of 30 and 45 days after slaughter.
Results: The results showed that the effect of adding vitamins A and E was significant on feed intake, body weight gain, and FCR during the grower, finisher, and whole periods (P < 0.05). The addition of vitamins A and E increased feed intake and body weight gain and decreased FCR (P < 0.05). The effect of vitamins A and E addition was significant on antibody production, lymphocytes and heterophils percentage, and the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (P < 0.05). The supplementation of vitamins A and E significantly increased antibody production and the percentage of lymphocytes compared to decreases in the heterophil percentage and the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (P < 0.05), and the highest antibody production was seen in broilers fed with both vitamins (P < 0.05). The addition of vitamin supplements decreased meat cooking loss and dripping loss, while it increased water holding capacity (P < 0.05). The effect of treatments was not significant on meat pH (P > 0.05). The addition of vitamins A and E decreased the malondialdehyde content in the thigh and breast meat 45 days after slaughter (P < 0.05), and the lowest malondialdehyde content was seen in broilers fed with both vitamins A and E (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: It is concluded that adding 1,500 IU of vitamin A and 250 mg of vitamin E to the diet can improve growth performance, immune response, and meat quality and stability in broilers.
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