beta-carotene and Poultry-Diseases

This study evaluated the preventive effect of the spontaneous oxidation of β-carotene (OxC-beta) in broiler chickens with necrotic enteritis by Clostridium perfringens taking into consideration various parameters including clinical signs, body weight, intestinal lesion severity, and bacterial enumeration. The mean body weight of the OxC-beta treatment groups increased significantly (P < 0.05) compared to that of the C. perfringens challenge group. Intestinal lesion scores due to C. perfringens infection were significantly alleviated by OxC-beta treatment (P < 0.05), and the number of clostridial bacteria in intestine was reduced by OxC-beta in a dose-dependent manner. OxC-beta in feed contributes to the prevention of necrotic enteritis in commercial broiler chicken, and has a positive effect in improving productivity.

Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; beta Carotene; Chickens; Clostridium Infections; Clostridium perfringens; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Enteritis; Oxidation-Reduction; Polymers; Poultry Diseases; Provitamins

In order to ameliorate a negative effect of stress on meat quality characteristics, chickens were fed a diet supplemented with a combination of ascorbic acid (1,000 ppm) and alpha-tocopherol (200 ppm) or oregano (3%), which has a high content of antioxidants. Chickens were slaughtered by cervical dislocation in the stable (no stress) or after transport and electrical stunning at the slaughter plant (stress). Activities of antioxidative enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathion peroxidase) in pectoralis major (PM), iliotibialis (IL), and liver were unaffected by supplementation. However, erythrocyte stability, which is a more complex model system for determining oxidative status, increased with ascorbic acid-alpha-tocopherol supplementation and tended to increase after oregano supplementation. In nonstressed birds, this improved antioxidative status was reflected in decreased TBA-reactive substances (TBARS) in PM and liver of ascorbic acid-alpha-tocopherol-supplemented chickens and likewise in liver from oregano-supplemented chickens compared to that of nonstressed control birds. However, postmortem temperature, pH, and water-holding capacity were not affected by supplementation. Drip loss from oregano-supplemented chickens showed increased protein oxidation in specific bands, but this did not relate to water-holding capacity or antioxidative status. When exposed to stress, the concentration of TBARS in the control animals increased in PM and IL. Ascorbic acid-alpha-tocopherol supplementation protected IL, and oregano supplementation protected PM from stress-induced increases in TBARS. This differential effect between muscles may indicate differences in protection mechanisms. In conclusion, ascorbic acid-alpha-tocopherol and oregano supplements to chickens protect against stress-induced increase in TBARS, in different muscles.

Topics: alpha-Tocopherol; Animal Feed; Animals; Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; beta Carotene; Catalase; Chickens; Color; Dietary Supplements; Erythrocytes; Glutathione Peroxidase; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Liver; Lutein; Meat; Muscle, Skeletal; Nutritional Status; Origanum; Oxidation-Reduction; Poultry Diseases; Proteins; Stress, Physiological; Superoxide Dismutase; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances

In 2 x 3 factorial experiments, 240 broiler chicks were fed diets containing 0, 0.01, and 0.02% beta-carotene or canthaxanthin with or without 5 ppm aflatoxin to determine the effects of these two carotenoids on the health and well-being of broilers subjected to aflatoxin poisoning. Neither beta-carotene nor canthaxanthin was effective at overcoming the growth-depressing effects of aflatoxin. Relative liver weights were significantly higher in broilers receiving dietary aflatoxin in the presence of beta-carotene but not canthaxanthin. beta-Carotene and canthaxanthin had no effect on antibody production against infectious bursal disease (IBD). Interestingly, secondary antibody production against IBD was enhanced by the presence of aflatoxin in the diet. Canthaxanthin significantly increased the concentrations of cholesterol, total protein, uric acid, and triglyceride, all of which were significantly depressed by aflatoxin. beta-Carotene did not effect any of the measured blood analytes. There was a significant interaction between canthaxanthin and aflatoxin with respect to creatine kinase activity. Creatine kinase activity decreased as dietary canthaxanthin increased in the presence of aflatoxin. The data suggest that beta-carotene is not effective at ameliorating aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens but that canthaxanthin may be somewhat effective with respect to certain clinical blood chemistry indicators.

Topics: Aflatoxins; Alanine Transaminase; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Antibodies, Viral; Antioxidants; Aspartate Aminotransferases; beta Carotene; Birnaviridae Infections; Canthaxanthin; Chickens; Cholinesterases; Creatine Kinase; Diet; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Interactions; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Growth; Immune System; Infectious bursal disease virus; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; Linear Models; Mycotoxicosis; Poultry Diseases

Because pale-bird syndrome (PBS), defined as the failure of birds to realize the color potential of their diet, has been demonstrated to be caused by malabsorption or by hyperexcretion of carotenoids, a method for measuring malabsorption of carotenoids would be useful. The absorption of dietary canthaxanthin, a red diketocarotenoid, into serum during aflatoxicosis was measured in an experiment with a 2 x 9 factorial arrangement of treatments (0 and 5 micrograms of aflatoxin/g of diet; serum collected at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 24 h after a standard meal fed to four groups of 10 3-wk-old birds). Serum canthaxanthin levels determined by HPLC attained plateau values between 8 and 14 h after the meal. The absorption of canthaxanthin was depressed significantly (P less than .05) in birds with aflatoxicosis from 4 to 24 h after feeding the standard meal. Four field flocks diagnosed as having PBS were tested for malabsorption by intubating 10 birds with a standard amount of canthaxanthin and measuring serum canthaxanthin 12 h later. One flock had about 85% normally pigmented birds and 15% extremely pale birds, the second flock had a coccidiosis history, the third had a Newcastle disease history, and the fourth had a history of both coccidiosis and Newcastle disease. The flocks were 5- to 6-wk-old, received feed of the same manufacture, and their disease outbreaks had occurred 2 wk earlier.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Aflatoxins; Animals; beta Carotene; Canthaxanthin; Carotenoids; Chickens; Intestinal Absorption; Lutein; Malabsorption Syndromes; Male; Mycotoxicosis; Poultry Diseases; Xanthophylls; Zeaxanthins