The influence of vitamin E and C feeding on protein content and ratios of its fractions in broiler chickens serum

Abstract

Protein content and the ratio of its fractions were investigated in the serum of broiler chickens during the growing period with the addition of vitamins E and C to their ration. The investigations were performed in one of the farms in Lviv region on four groups of 100 broiler chickens in each, starting from 1- to 41-day-olds. Chickens in the control group received a standard ration, the first experimental diet with tocopherol acetate, the second experimental – ascorbic acid, and the third – a complex of these vitamins. Poultry research were conducted at different ages: 27-, 34-, and 41-day-olds. The content of common protein was determined in blood serum – biuret method and the range of soluble proteins – by vertical electrophoresis in plates of 7.5 % polyacrylamide gel. Conducted research have shown that the use of tocopherol acetate and ascorbic acid supplements to compound feed of broiler chickens caused a rise in serum total protein content. However, these changes were more pronounced in chickens with the combined use of vitamins E and C in all search periods (P < 0.05–0.01), and also in 11-day-old broilers (P < 0.05), who used ascorbic acid supplement. In the search of the ratio of protein fractions was ascertained an increase in the content of γ-globulin fraction in chickens from the search groups regarding controls at 11 and 27 days of age. Herewith the differences were likely to be in broiler chickens, who used the tocopherol acetate supplement. Instead, 11-day-old chicks in this group had a lower b-globulin fraction (P < 0.05). However, in the serum of chickens from the experimental groups regarding control at 41 days of age a significantly higher content of the α-globulin fraction was registered. In general, the results of the searches showed that additional introduction of tocopherol acetate and ascorbic acid to chickens ration has a stimulating influence on the processes of protein biosynthesis and immune function in the organism of chickens in the process of their growth. This influence was more expressed in chickens with the combined use of vitamins E and C.