Influence of source and ratio of xanthophyll pigments on broiler chicken pigmentation and performance.
One experiment was conducted using 960 1-d-old, sexed broilers of Ross 308 strain from 1 to 43 d to evaluate if one type of chemically isomerized marigold with 25% of xanthophylls as zeaxanthin (SME-25) could produce pigmentation equivalent to the current addition of conventional marigold with 10% of xanthophylls as zeaxanthin (SME-10) plus canthaxanthin (CTX) in practical broiler diets (maize-wheat-soybean). Birds were allocated in 32 pens, in a randomized complete block design (four blocks x four treatments). The treatments consisted of a nonpigmented control (T1), a combination of 35 ppm of yellow xanthophylls (YX) from SME-10 + 5 ppm of CTX (T2), a combination of 32 ppm of YX from SME-10 + 2 ppm of CTX (T4), and one treatment with 40 ppm of YX from a new SME-25 (T3). There were no significant treatment effects on chicken performance. All color parameters (Minolta coordinates, Roche color fan scores, Rank test) presented significant differences (P < 0.0001) because of dietary pigments on shanks and breast skin. Birds fed the SME-25 diet had less pigmentation than those fed equivalent quantities of a combination of SME-10 + CTX. The Minolta coordinate "b" measured in breast skin was a good indicator of YX content in feed, whereas the "a" coordinate measured on the shank showed a linear relationship with the dietary CTX level (r = 0.61, P < 0.0001). The same visual color classification of chickens was achieved irrespective of the rank test performed (by shank or carcass color). Lutein and zeaxanthin from the SME-25 product had lower deposition rates in skin and fat tissues than those from the SME-10 product. This finding seems to be related to the ratio of zeaxanthin stereoisomer RR (optically active) vs. RS that was found in tissues from the SME-10 product (97.8%:2.2%), whereas with SME-25 this ratio was 16.0:84.0%. These results suggest that inclusion of only the SME-25 product could not replace the current addition of SME-10 and CTX combinations.
Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, Department of Animal Nutrition, Centre de Mas Bové, Reus, Spain. anna.perez@irta.es
A M
AM
Pérez-Vendrell
J M
JM
Hernández
L
L
Llauradó
J
J
Schierle
J
J
Brufau
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D016644:Canthaxanthin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D003116:Color; D005260:Female; D007536:Isomerism; D014975:Lutein / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000187:drug effects*; D011897:Random Allocation; D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*
D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene; D016644:Canthaxanthin; D014975:Lutein