Effect of dietary vitamin A, ascorbic acid and their interaction on turkey bone mineralization

Onderci

Archiv für Tierernaehrung

et al. 2002

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of chromium (chromium picolinate, Cr Pic) and vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) supplementation on egg production and egg quality in laying hens (Hy-Line) kept at 18 degrees C (at thermo-neutral zone) or 6 degrees C (cold stress) in temperature-controlled rooms. One hundred and fifty laying hens (32 week-old) were divided into 5 groups, 30 hens per group. The laying hens kept at 6 degrees C temperature were fed either a basal diet (low temperature-basal diet, LTB group) or the basal diet supplemented with either 400 micrograms of Cr per kg diet (Cr group), 250 mg of L-ascorbic acid per kg diet (Vit C group) or 400 micrograms of Cr plus 250 mg of L-ascorbic acid per kg diet (Vit C + Cr group) while hens kept at 18 degrees C fed a basal diet (thermo-neutral-basal diet, TNB group). Performance and egg quality were significantly reduced in LTB group compared with TNB group. Supplemental chromium and vitamin C significantly increased live weight change, egg production, and improved feed efficiency in cold-stressed hens compared with group fed the basal diet at 6 degrees C brought up to the values of the group reared under thermoneutral conditions (18 degrees C). Egg production and egg weight were also greater in each supplemental group compared with the LTB group. Separately or as a combination, supplemental chromium and vitamin C increased serum insulin but decreased corticosterone, glucose and cholesterol concentrations. Results of the present study show that supplementing vitamin C and chromium, particularly as a combination, improved the performance of cold-stressed hens. Such a combination of supplement can offer a potential protective management practice in preventing cold stress-related losses in performance of laying hens.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effects of Dietary Chromium Picolinate and Ascorbic Acid Supplementation on Egg Production, Egg Quality and Some Serum Metabolites of Laying Hens Reared under a Low Ambient Temperature (6 °C)

Onderci

Archiv für Tierernaehrung

et al. 2002

“…It has been reported that ascorbic acid plays a role in bone maturation by improving hydroxyproline production which is required for collagen formation. Accordingly, in birds, it was postulated that ascorbic acid stimulates 1,25-dihydroxy-cholecalciferol and together with it increases calcium mobilization from bones, suggesting vitamin C has an important role in egg shell formation (Dorr and Balloun, 1976;Demir et al, 1995).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimal dietary concentrations of vitamin C and chromium picolinate for alleviating the effect of low ambient temperature (6.2 degrees C) on egg production, some egg characteristics, and nutrient digestibility in laying hens

Şahin¹,

Şahin²

2001

Vet. Med. - Czech

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) and chromium (chromium picolinate, Cr Pic) on egg production, some egg characteristics, and digestibility of nutrients in laying hens (Hy-Line) reared under a low ambient temperature (6.2°C). Two hundred and ten laying hens (32 week-old) were divided into seven groups, 30 hens per group. The treatment groups were designed in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement using two levels of vitamin C (125 and 250 mg/kg of diet) and three levels of chromium picolinate (200, 400, or 800 µg/kg of diet), and control group was fed basal diet.The highest values of performance were obtained if 250 mg/kg vitamin C was supplemented with either 400 or 800 µg Cr per kg of diet. An interaction between vitamin C and chromium for egg production (P = 0.05) and feed efficiency (P = 0.02) was detected. Similarly, egg weight, specific gravity, egg shell thickness, egg shell weight and Haugh unit improved with diet containing 250 mg vitamin C and either 400 or 800 µg Cr per kg of diet (P ≤ 0.05). Digestibility of dry matter (DM), ash, organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), and ether extract (EE) were higher with higher dietary vitamin C (P ≤ 0.05) and also with higher Cr (P ≤ 0.05). There were no interactions between vitamin C and chromium detected for any parameters measured for egg quality in terms of egg weight, specific gravidity, egg shell thickness, egg shell weight and Haugh unit and digestibility of nutrients (P ≥ 0.28). Data obtained in the present study shows that a combination of 250 mg vitamin C and 400 µg chromium per kg of diet gave the best results in laying hens reared under a low ambient temperature and a conclusion is suggested that such a diet can be considered as a protective management practice in poultry to alleviate, at least in part, the depressive effect of cold stress on poultry performance.

“…This mineralization process is under the direct influence of the active metabolites of vitamin D 3 . Metabolism of calcium has also been reported to be influenced by dietary ascorbic acid (Thornton, 1970;Dorr and Balloun, 1976;Orban et al, 1993) and the binding capacity of calcium binding proteins was significantly improved with VC supplementation. The increased collagen synthesis and increased mineralization must have increased the bone breaking strength in VC supplemented diet at 200 mg/kg level in our study.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of vitamin C-polyethylene glycol complex on growth performance and immunity in broiler chickens

Hahn¹,

Lohakare²,

Shim³

et al. 2005

J. Anim. Feed Sci.

This research was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of vitamin C-polyethylene glycol complex (VC-PEG) in broiler chickens during heat stress. For a 6-week feeding trial, a total of 330 broiler chickens were allotted to five dietary treatments. The dietary vitamin C (VC) levels (treatments) were, mg/kg: 1. 0 VC (negative control), 2. 200 VC as ascorbate (positive control), 3. 10 VC-PEG, 4. 20 VC-PEG, and 5. 50 VC-PEG. At the end of the experiments nine chickens per treatment were sacrificed for the analyses of VC contents in blood and liver, and meat quality. During the starter period, chickens on negative control group (no VC added) grew slower (P<0.05) than others. During the overall period, chickens fed diets containing 20, 50 mg/kg VC-PEG, and 200 mg/kg ascorbate showed improved weight gain (P<0.05) than those fed 0 or 10 mg/kg VC-PEG. VC concentrations in plasma and liver were higher in chickens fed diets with vitamin C. Bone strength was also higher (linear, P=0.001) as dietary VC level was increased. There was no effect on lymphocyte sub-population. Antibody response to Newcastle disease and infectious bronchitis vaccination was higher in 20 mg/kg VC-PEG fed group as compared with other VC-PEG groups. In conclusion, VC supplementation was beneficial to broilers during heat stress.