Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding zinc (Zn) mineral supplements from organic (ZnGly) and inorganic (ZnO) sources to growing male Ross 308 chickens on the mechanical, geometric, and histomorphometrical parameters of long bones. A corn-soybean meal basal diet was supplemented with Zn at 50 or 100 mg·kg-1 of a premix, except the control group (0 suppl). The serum concentration of insulin-like growth factor 1 was higher in the ZnGly50 group compared with the control group. Positive influence of Zn on the femur is highlighted when considering the significant increase in parameters such as mean relative wall thickness, and maximum elastic and ultimate strengths after Zn administration. Zinc supplementation did not affect tibial parameters. The histomorphometric analysis showed a positive impact of Zn supplementation (irrespective of source and level) on femoral trabecular thickness. Rapid loss in actual bone volume in tibial metaphyseal trabeculae was observed with ZnGly at 50 mg·kg-1. In conclusion, this study showed that dietary Zn supplementation positively influences bone mechanical properties, confirming its beneficial effect on the development of the skeletal system and bone tissue of broilers tested for a nutritional-osteoporotic factor. Adverse health effects in trabecular bone as a result of the use of Zn at 50 mg·kg-1 of the premix show that supplementing Zn at the recommended dose (100 mg·kg-1) is essential.
Highlights
There has been an increasing demand for poultry meat, and rearing fast-growing and well-muscled broiler breeds is more profitable
As our aim was to evaluate the effect of an addition of organic and inorganic zinc mineral supplements, as well as different levels of Zn supplementation on the mechanical and histomorphometric parameters and the geometry of long bones, the following statistical model was applied: xij = μ + αi + εij where: xij = an observation; i = concentration factor (ZnO50, ZnO100, ZnGly50, ZnGly100, CONT); j = number of observations; μ = constant; αi = the main effect of the ith level; εij = random error of the ith level of the jth observation
Feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) at 10, 21, 35, and 42 days of age were not influenced by Zn source or level
Summary
There has been an increasing demand for poultry meat, and rearing fast-growing and well-muscled broiler breeds is more profitable. The genetic selection of broilers for muscle deposition and growth rate have caused growth and bone mineralization abnormalities. There are several causal factors that often operate in parallel or cyclically, exacerbating the effects of a negative impact on bone development. These factors include unstable and unbalanced dietary energy, protein and minerals, poisoning, hormonal disorders, and genetic predisposition (Cook, 2000). Because male chickens have heavier body weights than females, the overloading or abnormal loading conditions of pelvic limb bones, resulting in structural damage and deformed lower legs, are more common in males than in females (Śliwa et al, 1996; Tomaszewska et al, 2017).
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