Abstract
We aimed to investigate the age-dependent development of digestive organs, intestinal enzymes, and hepatic antioxidant defense system in White Leghorn chicks aged 0, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days. Body weight (BW) did not significantly change between days 0 and 7 but significantly increased (<i>P</i><0.05) after day 7. The relative liver weight (g/100 g of BW) was significantly lower at day 0 than at the other ages but markedly increased at days 3 and 7 (<i>P</i><0.05). The relative pancreatic weight changed similar to the change in liver weight, with the maximum development at 7 days (<i>P</i><0.05). The relative intestinal and mucosal tissue weights increased rapidly after hatching (<i>P</i><0.05), with the maximum growth at 7 days. Furthermore, maltase and sucrase activities were significantly higher at day 3 than at day 0 (<i>P</i><0.05). Leucine aminopeptidase activity was high at day 0 and remained constant as age increased. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase activities in the liver were the lowest at day 0 but significantly increased after 7 days (<i>P</i><0.05). Glutathione peroxidase activity increased significantly after day 14 compared with that at days 0 and 7 (<i>P</i><0.05). Lipid peroxidation was not affected by age. In conclusion, the digestive organ weights and hydrolase activity of chicks increased rapidly during the first 3 or 7 days post-hatching. Hepatic antioxidant enzyme activity increased simultaneously with the increase in digestive organ weights, after 7 days.
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