title: Effects of dietary chromium picolinate supplementation on performance and plasma concentrations of insulin and corticosterone in laying hens under low ambient temperature.
abstract: This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of chromium (chromium picolinate) on performance and plasma concentrations of insulin and corticosterone of laying hens (Ross Brown) under a low ambient temperature (6.9 degrees C). One hundred and twenty laying hens (46 weeks old) were divided into four groups, 30 hens per group. The laying hens were fed either a control diet containing 710.3 p.p.b. chromium or the control diet supplemented with 100, 200 or 400 microg chromium/kg diet. Increasing supplemental chromium increased live weight change (p < or = 0.001, linear) and egg production (p < or = 0.001, linear) and also improved feed efficiency linearly (p < or = 0.001). Live weight change and egg production also had quadratic responses (p < or = 0.001) to increasing chromium supplementation. Plasma insulin concentration increased linearly (p < or = 0.001), whereas corticosterone concentration decreased linearly (p < or = 0.001) as dietary chromium supplementation increased. The results of this study indicate that supplemental dietary chromium, 200 p.p.b. in particular, had a positive effect on performance and increased the plasma insulin concentration of laying hens under cold stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Nutrition, Veterinary Faculty, University of Firat, 23100 Elaziğ, Turkey.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Küçük
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sahin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004531:Eggs; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010058:Oviposition / Q000187:drug effects; D010848:Picolinic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D010848:Picolinic Acids; C030614:picolinic acid; D003345:Corticosterone