Supplementation of nano-selenium (SeNPs) improved growth, immunity, antioxidant enzyme activity, and selenium retention in broiler chicken during summer season.

Abstract

The present experiment was aimed at finding the optimal supplemental dose of nano-selenium in broiler chicken during the summer season for better performance in terms of growth, blood metabolites, immune response, antioxidant status, and selenium concentration in vital organs. Three-hundred-day-old Vencobb broiler chicks were randomly distributed into five dietary treatment groups with six replicates of 10 chicks each. The dietary treatments were as follows: T1 (control group), basal diet; T2, basal diet with 0.0375ppm of nano-Se; T3, basal diet with 0.075ppm of nano-Se; T4, basal diet with 0.15ppm of nano-Se; T5, basal diet with 0.3ppm of nano-Se. The experiment was carried out for 35days. The average gain and feed conversion ratio were best observed in T4 and T5. The antibody titres were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the treated birds. At the 5th week, erythrocytic glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities were significantly (P < 0.05) higher and lipid peroxidation values were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in all the nano-Se-treated groups. The Se levels in the liver, breast muscle, kidney, brain, and gizzard were significantly (P < 0.05) increased with increased dietary nano-Se. Histological studies of the liver and kidney in the highest nano-Se-treated groups (T4 and T5) did not show any abnormal changes. It is concluded that supplementation of nano-selenium at 0.15ppm over and above the basal level improved the performance and protect the birds from summer stress without any adverse effect on the vital organs of chicken.