title: The effect of sex, dietary energy, meat protein, ascorbic acid and iron on broiler skin collagen.
abstract: Two studies were conducted to determine if variation of sex, dietary energy, meat protein, ascorbic acid or iron had any effect on collagen metabolism in broilers. In the first experiment day-old broiler type chicks were fed diets which contained 3190 or 3410 kcal. M.E./kg. of diet, 0 or 15% meat and bone meal and 0 or 1 g./kg. ascorbic acid. In the second experiment the day-old broiler chicks were fed diets which had 3190 or 3410 kcal. M.E./kg. of diet and 60 or 260 p.p.m. of iron. At 56 days of age the broilers were weighed, a representative number of birds killed from each group and skin samples collected. The skin samples were analyzed for the degree of collagen cross-linking and the total and insoluble collagen contents. An alteration of energy, meat protein, ascorbic acid or iron in the diet had no effect on collagen formation in the skin of broilers reared in cool environmental temperatures. Female broilers had a significantly higher percentage of insoluble collagen in the skin tissue but the level of total collagen and insoluble collagen was higher in the male birds.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D001835:Body Weight; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism*; D003094:Collagen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D003094:Collagen; D007501:Iron; D001205:Ascorbic Acid