Effects of Gushukang, a Chinese herbal medicine, on bone characteristics and osteoporosis in laying hens

In this study, we evaluated the effects of the herb medicine formula Gushukang (GSK) on bone characteristics and osteoporosis in end-of-lay hens. One thousand 55-wk-old ISA caged layers were allotted randomly to 2 groups. The control group was given the basal diet, and the GSK group was given the ba...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Poultry science 2009-11, Vol.88 (11), p.2342-2345
Main Authors: Zhou, Z.-L, Deng, Y.-F, Tao, Q.-S, Hu, Y.-F, Hou, J.-F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
alkaline phosphatase
animal age
Animals
biomarkers
blood chemistry
bone density
Bone Density - drug effects
bone metabolism
calcium
Chickens
dietary minerals
Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology
egg production
egg shell quality
Female
food animals
hen feeding
herbal medicines
laying hens
medicinal plants
osteoporosis
Osteoporosis - drug therapy
Osteoporosis - veterinary
phosphates
Poultry Diseases - drug therapy
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Summary:In this study, we evaluated the effects of the herb medicine formula Gushukang (GSK) on bone characteristics and osteoporosis in end-of-lay hens. One thousand 55-wk-old ISA caged layers were allotted randomly to 2 groups. The control group was given the basal diet, and the GSK group was given the basal diet supplemented with additional GSK (1 g/kg) for 10 wk. Egg production, shell quality, bone radiographic density, and biochemical markers of bone turnover were determined. The results showed that GSK significantly increased the egg laying rate and decreased the percentage of cracked eggs (P < 0.05).The serum calcium, phosphate, and alkaline phosphatase were decreased (P < 0.05) in the GSK-treated group compared with the control group, whereas bone characteristics were significantly improved (P < 0.05). The results suggested that GSK can improve egg production and prevent bone loss by inhibiting bone turnover.
ISSN:0032-5791
1525-3171
DOI:10.3382/ps.2009-00285