Abstract
ABSTRACTThe study evaluated the effect of betaine and ascorbic acid (AA) administration on the erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration of broiler chickens during the hot-dry season. Eighty day-old broilers were divided into four groups: Group I (control) given sterile water; Group II, betaine (250 mg/kg); Group III, AA (50 mg/kg); and Group IV, betaine (250 mg/kg) + AA (50 mg/kg) orally for 42 days. Blood samples were collected from each bird with and without anticoagulant, sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, on days 21 and 42, for the determination of EOF and serum MDA concentrations. The dry-bulb temperature (DBT), relative humidity and temperature-humidity index (THI) recorded were 28.33–35.67°C, 69.00–93.00% and 28.18–34.82, respectively. The results showed that betaine + AA (7.78 ± 1.66%) significantly (P < .05) reduced EOF, compared to control birds (16.27 ± 9.35%) at 0.7% on day 21. MDA concentrations of broiler chickens in the betaine (1.37 ± 0.038 nmol/L), AA (1.41 ± 0.039 nmol/L) and betaine + AA (1.41 ± 0.040 nmol/L) groups during the experimental period were significantly (P < .05) lower when compared with that of the control group (1.54 ± 0.043 nmol/L). It is concluded that the co-administration of betaine and AA to broiler chickens decreased EOF and MDA during the hot-dry season.
Highlights
Broiler chicken production under high ambient temperature (AT) and high relative humidity (RH) has been shown to induce heat stress (Ali et al 2010)
There were no significant decreases in percentage Erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF) at 0.5% NaCl concentration in the experimental groups, when compared with that of the control (Figure 1)
The EOF values of 6.23 ± 2.01% and 7.36 ± 0.97% obtained in betaine + ascorbic acid (AA) and AA-treated groups, The MDA concentration in broiler chickens administered with AA (1.31 ± 0.04 nmol/L) was significantly (P < .05) lower than that recorded in the control group (1.50 ± 0.066 nmol/L)
Summary
Broiler chicken production under high ambient temperature (AT) and high relative humidity (RH) has been shown to induce heat stress (Ali et al 2010). Heat stress results in the excess production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and, oxidative damage (Zhang et al 2014). Under such adverse conditions, the body is not able to synthesize the enzymes required to destroy ROS or repair the damage. Erythrocyte membrane could be damaged by lipid peroxidation, resulting from increased generation of ROS (Azeez et al 2012), and measured by the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration (Roberts & Sindhu 2009). Increased MDA concentration is involved in the pathogenesis of certain conditions in broiler chickens such as aflatoxicosis (Chen et al 2013), structural injury and decreased immune function of the spleen due to low selenium intake (Peng et al 2012)
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