title: Effects of chromium nicotinate on performance, carcase characteristics and blood chemistry of growing turkeys.
abstract: 1. The objective of this trial was to study the effects of chromium nicotinate (Cr) supplementation on the performance, carcase characteristics and blood constituents of 9 to 22 week-old male turkeys. 2. Fifty-four 8-week-old male turkeys weighing 2.9 +/- 0.28 kg were allocated at random into 9 groups with 3 dietary treatments and 3 replicates. The dietary treatment was different dietary concentrations of chromium in the basal diet, to provide 0 (control), 1 or 3 mg/kg. The feeding trial lasted for 14 weeks. 3. Results showed that 1 mg/kg chromium supplementation significantly improved weight gain and food intake at 9 to 18 weeks of age but did not significantly influence performance at 19 to 22 week of age. The breast and thigh muscle were significantly increased in birds receiving 1 mg/kg chromium supplementation but were decreased by 3 mg/kg of supplementation. 4. Dietary chromium supplementation did not significantly influence other serum constituents, including insulin, HDL, VLDL+LDL, HDL-C, VLDL-C+LDL-C, total protein, albumin, and gamma-globulin at 18 and 22 weeks of age. 5. The serum triacylglycerol (TG) and uric acid contents were significantly increased, while glycerol and alpha-globulin were significantly reduced by 3 mg/kg chromium supplementation. However, 1 mg/kg chromium supplementation significantly reduced serum cholesterol and glycerol at 18-weeks old. At 22 weeks of age, 1 mg/kg chromium supplementation significantly increased serum glucose and decreased the uric acid concentration whereas 3 mg/kg chromium supplementation significantly increased the creatinine concentration and decreased beta-globulin concentration.
authors.affiliation: Department ofAnimal Science, National Chia-Yi University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Lien
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Chiou
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects; D002857:Chromium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000187:drug effects; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards; D009539:Nicotinic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D014422:Turkeys / Q000097:blood / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D009539:Nicotinic Acids; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D002857:Chromium; C102874:chromium nicotinic acid complex