Effects of vitamin E and vitamin A supplementation on performance, thyroid status and serum concentrations of some metabolites and minerals in broilers reared under heat stress (32 deg C)

• Published in: Veterinární medicína 2001-11, Vol.46 (11-12), p.286-292
• Main Authors: Sahin, N. (Veterinary Control and Research Institute of Ministry of Agriculture, Elazig (Turkey)), Sahin, K, Kuecuek, O
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ACIDE URIQUE; ACIDO URICO; ALBUMINAS; ALBUMINE; ALBUMINS; ALIMENT COMPOSE POUR ANIMAUX; blood parameters; BLOOD PROTEINS; BODY WEIGHT; BROILER CHICKENS; broilers; CALCIO; CALCIUM; CHEMICAL COMPOSITION; CHOLESTEROL; COLESTEROL; COMPOSICION QUIMICA; COMPOSITION CHIMIQUE; COMPOUND FEEDS; CORTICOTROPIN; CORTICOTROPINA; CORTICOTROPINE; EFFICACITE CONVERSION ALIMENTAIRE; EFICIENCIA DE CONVERSION DEL PIENSO; ENZIMAS; ENZYME; ENZYMES; ESTRES TERMICO; FEED CONVERSION EFFICIENCY; FEED INTAKE; FOSFORO; GLUCOSA; GLUCOSE; HEAT STRESS; INGESTION DE PIENSOS; PESO CORPORAL; PHOSPHORE; PHOSPHORUS; PIENSOS COMPUESTOS; POIDS CORPOREL; POLLO DE ENGORDE; POULET DE CHAIR; PRISE ALIMENTAIRE (ANIMAUX); PROTEINAS SANGUINEAS; PROTEINE SANGUINE; RETINOL; STRESS THERMIQUE; THYROXINE; TIROXINA; TRIGLICERIDOS; TRIGLYCERIDE; TRIGLYCERIDES; TRIIODOTHYRONINE; TRIYODOTIRONINA; URIC ACID; vitamin a; VITAMIN E; VITAMINA E; VITAMINE E
• ISSN: 0375-8427; 1805-9392
• DOI: 10.17221/7894-VETMED

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of vitamins E and A on performance and serum concentrations of several hormones, metabolites and minerals in Cobb-500 male broilers reared under heat stress (32 deg C). One day-old 120 broilers were fed either a control diet or a diet supplemented with either vitamin A (15 000 IU retinol/kg diet), vitamin E (250 mg alfa-tocopherol-acetate/kg diet), or a combination of both vitamins (15 000 IU retinol plus 250 mg of alfa-tocopherol-acetate/kg diet). Supplemental vitamin A and vitamin E (fed separately or as a combination) significantly increased feed intake, live weight gain, serum concentrations of triiodothyronine, thyroxine, protein, albumin, Ca and P. The serum activity of alkaline phosphatase increased, too. On the contrary, serum ACTH, glucose, uric acid, triglyceride, and cholesterol concentrations significantly decreased. Feed efficiency, serum activities of glutamic oxalate transaminase (SGOT) and glutamic pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) were not influenced. The magnitude of responses was greatest with the combination of both vitamins, rather than that of each vitamin supplemented separately. The results show that supplementing a combination of dietary vitamin E and vitamin A offers a good management practice to reduce heat stress-related decreases in broiler performance.