Antioxidants supplementation to diet of Egyptian chicken under different environmental conditions 2- the growth during cold winter stress
Abstract: A study was conducted to investigate supplementation of two kinds of antioxidant to chicks diets, bio-antioxidants (bio-vitamins E, C, A or capsaicin as a content of red hot pepper) and mineral-antioxidants (selenium and zinc), separately or as combination, on growth performance, physiological and immune status of Egyptian chicks during cold winter stress. Three hundred and sixty Egyptian Golden Montazah chicks 2 weeks old were randomly divided into six experimental groups of 60 chicks each. The first group was fed on the basal diet (control), while groups 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were given a diet supplemented with 0,5 ppm selenium/kg feed, 100 ppm zinc/kg feed, 5 gm red hot pepper /kg feed, 0,5 ppm selenium plus 5 gm red hot pepper/kg feed and 100 ppm zinc plus 5 gm red hot pepper /kg feed, respectively. All groups were reared under cold temperature 5 - 17 ºC during winter months and housed in wire cages till the end of the experiment at 12 wks of age.
Supplementation of mineral antioxidant (selenium), bio-antioxidant (hot pepper) or combinations of bio-antioxidant (hot pepper) and mineral antioxidants (selenium or zinc) have been shown to improve (P<0.05) body weight gain, feed conversion, dressing and relative weights of breast and giblets as compared with the control. However, adding mineral antioxidant (zinc) in diet caused insignificant improvement in the same parameters. The viability was (P<0.05) improved in all supplemental groups. Meanwhile, supplemental antioxidants had slightly effects on plasma total protein, albumin, urea, creatinine; AST and ALT. In the contrarily, plasma globulin were increased (P<0.05). Singly or as combination, supplemental bio-antioxidant (red hot pepper) had decreased total cholesterol, total lipids and glucose (P<0.05). However, the combination increased plasma T3 (P<0.05). Singly supplementing selenium increased (P<0.05) plasma total cholesterol, total lipids and decreased (P<0.05) glucose concentrations. Blood indices (hemoglobin and hematocrit) were increased significantly (P<0.05) by supplementation of antioxidants. Significant increases (P<0.05) in RBC’s, WBC’s and their types (Heterophil (H), Lymphocytes (L)) counts of treatments were noticed in treated groups as compared with the control. Moreover, antioxidants treatments improved the immune status as indicated by significantly (P<0.05) higher HI titter of Newcastle disease virus or the lymphoid organs relative weights such as thymus, bursa of Fabricius and spleen. Antioxidants treatments also resulted in a reduction of the counts of faeces harmful microorganisms such as Streptococci, Salmonella and E. coli when compared to the control birds faces. Better performances of cold stressed chicks could achieve through dietary supplementation of antioxidants, especially with their combinations comparable to separately ones. This may be due to highly immune responses. It could be advisable to give more attention for importance of bio-antioxidants or their mixture in Egyptian chicks diets under cold environmental temperature.
Publication year 2007
Pages 727-748
Availability location معهد بحوث الانتاج الحيوانى- شارع نادى الصيد- الدقى - الجيزة
Availability number
Organization Name
City الاسكندرية
serial title Egyptian Poultry Science
Author(s) from ARC
Agris Categories Animal physiology - Nutrition
AGROVOC
TERMS		 Animal feeding. Animal nutrition. Antioxidants. Cold stress. Growth. Poultry. Rations.
Publication Type Journal
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