L-carnitine supplementation decreases lipid peroxidation and improves cardiopulmonary function in broiler chickens reared at high altitude

An experiment was carried out to examine the effects of L-carnitine supplementation on growth performance and cardiopulmonary function of broiler chickens reared at high altitude (2100 m above sea level). A total of 96 day-old male chicks (Cobb 500) were randomly assigned into two dietary treatments containing 0 (control group) and 200 mg/kg L-carnitine. The experimental diets were fed for a period of 42 days consisting of the starting (days 1 to 21) and growing periods (days 21 to 42). Nutrient requirements of chickens met the NRC (1994) recommendations. The results showed that dietary L-carnitine had no significant influence on body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio. L-carnitine reduced plasma concentration of malondialdehyde, packed cell volume (PCV) and abdominal fat deposition compared to the control (P < 0.05). A significant (P < 0.05) decrease was observed in the right to total ventricular weight ratio (RV:TV) in birds receiving L-carnitine when compared to the control. Supplementation of L-carnitine increased plasma nitric oxide and immune responsiveness, which manifested in an increased toe-web thickness index measured at 24 h following the injection of phytohaemagglutinin P. In conclusion, supplementation of L-carnitine had beneficial effects on preventing lipid peroxidation and pulmonary hypertension in broiler chickens raised at high altitude

Kelussia odoratissima Mozzaf - A promising medicinal herb to prevent pulmonary hypertension in broiler chickens reared at high altitude

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Kelussia odoratissima Mozzaf, formerly Apium odoratissima, is a plant locally called ``Karafs'', found in central Zagros region of Iran. Leaves and stems of the plant are traditionally used in the treatment of hypertension and inflammation. Lowering blood pressure effects of Kelussia odoratissima Mozzaf (wild celery) was evaluated in preventing pulmonary hypertension syndrome (PHS) in broiler chickens reared at high altitude (2100 m). Materials and methods: A total number of 208 day-old male broilers (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to four treatments including different levels of Kelussia odoratissima Mozzaf (0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, and 0.75%) in a 42-day trial. Results: Body weight gain and feed:gain responses significantly (P < 0.05) improved when Kelussia odoratissima Mozzaf was included in broiler diets at 0.75% in the growing stage and throughout the trial. Over-expression of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase in the heart was observed in chickens fed Kelussia odoratissima Mozzaf. Birds received Kelussia odoratissima Mozzaf at 0.5% and 0.75% had significantly (P <0.05) higher circulatory concentrations of NO though significantly (P < 0.05) lower serum malondialdehyde concentration, hematocrit and heterophil to lymphocyte ratio when compared to the birds fed the control diet. Feeding Kelussia odoratissima Mozzaf at 0.5% and 0.75% prevented from right ventricular hypertrophy and led to a significant decline in mortality from PHS. Conclusion: It can be concluded that Kelussia odoratissima Mozzaf is a promising medicinal herb to prevent PHS in broiler chickens by improving blood pressure and antioxidant responses. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Pulmonary hypertensive response of broiler chickens to arginine and guanidinoacetic acid under high-altitude hypoxia

This study assessed the preventive effects of arginine (ARG) and guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) on the incidence of pulmonary hypertension syndrome (PHS) in broiler chickens. Four isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets were prepared, including: (i) the control, (ii) the control supplemented with 1 g/kg ARG, (iii) the control supplemented with 1 g/kg GAA, and (iv) the control supplemented with 1.5 g/kg GAA. These diets were fed to broilers (Ross 308) from day 1 to 42 post-hatch. Criteria evaluated in the experiment were growth performance, carcass characteristics, serum and blood variables, lead-II electrocardiogram, and ET-1 and iNOS gene expression in heart and lungs. Mortality from PHS was recorded daily. The results showed that ARG and GAA supplements improved the feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the control (P < 0.05). Supplementation of ARG and GAA significantly (P < 0.05) increased serum nitric oxide (NO) concentration. ARG and GAA supplementation significantly reduced the haematocrit value and the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio in the blood. A significant (P < 0.05) decline in S-wave amplitude of the lead-II electrocardiogram, right to total ventricular weight ratio (RV:TV) and ascites mortality was observed by supplementing ARG or 1.5 g/kg GAA. Addition of ARG and GAA supplements did not significantly change ET-1 and iNOS gene expression in the heart and lung relative to the control. In conclusion, GAA supplementation at 1.5 g/kg had a potential to improve growth performance and could prevent PHS

Blood gas values and pulmonary hypertension as affected by dietary sodium source in broiler chickens reared at cool temperature in a high-altitude area

One hundred and twenty day-old male chicks (Ross 308) reared at a cool temperature at high altitude were subjected to the following two treatments in a completely randomised design: (1) a group for which the sodium requirements were supplied by sodium chloride from day-old age and regarded as control, (2) a group similar to the control but for which 50% of the sodium requirements was supplied by sodium bicarbonate from day-old age. Provision of sodium equally from NaCl and NaHCO3 significantly (P < 0.05) increased the partial pressure of oxygen and the saturation of haemoglobin with oxygen, and significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio. The right ventricle to total ventricles ratio shifted to lower values as a result of substituting NaHCO3 for NaCl as a sodium source. Growth performance and carcass characteristics were not affected significantly by the dietary sodium source

Effect of Barley and Enzyme on Performance, Carcass, Enzyme Activity and Digestion Parameters of Broilers

Introduction Corn has been recently used for producing ethanol fuel in the major corn-producing countries such as the US and Brazil. Recent diversion of corn for biofuel production along with the increased world's demand for this feedstuff has resulted in unprecedented rise in feed cost for poultry worldwide. Alternative grains such as wheat and barley can be successfully replaced for corn in poultry diets. These cereal grains can locally grow in many parts of the world as they have remarkably lower water requirement than corn. Wheat and barley are generally used as major sources of energy in poultry diets. Though the major components of these grains are starch and proteins, they have considerable content of non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs), derived from the cell walls (Olukosi et al. 2007; Mirzaie et al. 2012). NSPs are generally considered as anti-nutritional factors (Jamroz et al. 2002). The content and structure of NSP polymers vary between different grains, which consequently affect their nutritive value (Olukosi et al. 2007).Wheat and barley are generally used as major sources of energy in poultry diets. The major components of these grains are starch and proteins, they have considerable content of non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs), derived from the cell walls. NSPs are generally considered as anti-nutritional factors. The content and structure of NSP polymers vary between different grains, which consequently affect their nutritive value. The major part of NSPs in barley comprises polymers of (1→3) (1→4)-β- glucans which could impede growth factors and consequently carcass quality through lowering the rate and amount of available nutrients in the mucosal surface of the intestinal. Materials and Methods This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of corn and barley based diets supplemented with multi-enzyme on growth, carcass, pancreas enzyme activity and physiological characteristics of broilers. A total number of 375 one day old Ross-308 broiler chickens were allocated randomly to 3 treatments with 5 replicates using a CRD statistical design. Treatments were included control, barley and barley+ enzyme. The experimental diets were formulated to have similar contents of crude protein, metabolizable energy, total non-starch polysaccharides (NSP). Results and Discussion According to the results, effect of barley with or without enzyme on growth performance at starter, grower and the entire period and also on carcass characteristics, pancreas enzyme activity and measures of ileal acidity and viscosity at the age of 42 were significant (

Evaluation of hepatic lipogenesis and antioxidant status of broiler chickens fed mountain celery

Abstract Background Fatness is an unwanted side effect of genetic selection in broiler chickens. In this study, we introduce mountain celery powder as a feed supplement to suppress lipogenesis and improve antioxidant status in broiler chickens. Male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were fed a control diet or a diet that includes mountain celery (MC) at 7.5 gkg−1over 42 days. Results Body weight gain and feed conversion ratio significantly (P < 0.05) improved in chicks fed MC. A highly significant down-regulation of genes involved in hepatic lipogenesis including acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FAS), malic enzyme (ME), and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) was observed in the liver of chickens fed MC. These birds, however, had greater compensatory upregulation in antioxidative genes SOD1 and catalase in the liver compared to the birds that received the control diet. Birds received MC had significantly lower level of lipid peroxidation (1.59 μmol/L serum malondialdehyde) compared to birds from the control group (3.57 μmol/L; P = 0.0024). Birds fed MC had significantly (P < 0.05) lower circulatory concentrations of triacylglycerols, cholesterol, and LDL but higher concentrations of HDL. Relative liver weight and abdominal fat deposition were significantly reduced by feeding MC. Conclusions It can be concluded that feeding birds MC significantly suppresses hepatic lipogenesis by down-regulating key hepatic lipogenic enzyme genes and boosts antioxidant capacity by up-regulating hepatic antioxidantive genes

Dietary L-Carnitine Supplement Counteracts Pulmonary Hypertensive Response in Broiler Chickens Fed Reduced-Protein Diets and Subjected to Cool Condition and Hypobaric Hypoxia

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effects of supplementing reduced-protein diets with L-carnitine on growth performance and occurrence of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) syndrome in broiler chickens reared at high altitude. A total of 156 day-old male broilers (Ross 308) were assigned to three dietary treatments and reared up to 42 days of age. A normal-protein diet (NPD) was formulated according to the National Research Council (1994) and served as control. A reduced-protein diet (RPD) was also prepared to contain 3% less protein than that of the NPD. An additional RPD diet was prepared by supplementing L-carnitine (LC) at 100 mg/kg to the RPD. Results showed significant improvements in feed:gain and carcass yield in birds fed on RPD when supplemented with LC. The proportions of liver, heart, and abdominal fat pad relative to body weight and the right ventricular weight ratio (RV:TV) were significantly higher in birds fed on the RDP than those of the control fed the NPD. Electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements recorded from lead II supported the development of PAH in birds fed RPD as evidenced by deep S waves. Supplementing LC to the RPD significantly reduced the liver weight, abdominal fat deposition, and RV:TV, which reflected in reduced S waves. Feeding broilers with the RPD significantly reduced serum concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) and uric acid (UA). However, supplementation of the RPD with LC significantly increased the serum concentrations of NO. In conclusion, feeding reduced-protein diets to broilers reared at hypobaric hypoxia increases their susceptibility to pulmonary hypertension. Dietary LC supplementation of reduced-protein diets had beneficial effects in preventing PAH mortality mainly through enhancing blood NO concentration

Growth Performance and Right Ventricular Hypertrophy Responses of Broiler Chickens to Guanidinoacetic Acid Supplementation under Hypobaric Hypoxia

Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) has been shown to spare arginine (ARG) requirements in chickens. ARG plays a critical role in enhancing growth and preventing right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) in broiler chickens subjected to hypobaric hypoxia. However, ARG is not available as a feed grade supplement in the market. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of commercially available GAA supplement as an alternative on growth performance and RVH in broilers raised at high altitude (2100 m). Five graded levels of GAA ranging from 0 (control) to 2 g/kg were provided in isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets to broilers (Ross 308) from day 1 to 42, post-hatch. Results indicated that responses to GAA were nonlinear and attained plateau values within the studied range of GAA supply. While weight gain and feed intake were unaffected by GAA supply, feed conversion ratio was improved by GAA supplementation up to 1.5 g/kg. Similar trends were observed for the proportions in the liver and heart, as well as hematocrit. GAA supplementation at 1 and 1.5 g/kg resulted in reduced abdominal fat deposition as well as a decline in right-tototal ventricular weight ratio (RV:TV, an index of RVH). A significant (P&lt;0.05) increase in serum nitric oxide concentration was observed at 1 and 1.5 g/kg GAA supplementation. However, GAA supply led to lower serum malondialdehyde and uric acid levels than in the control. In conclusion, GAA supplementation up to 1.5 g/kg had the potential to improve growth performance and RVH response. Meanwhile, GAA supply beyond 1.5 g/kg could deteriorate these responses