title: Optimal dietary concentration of chromium for alleviating the effect of heat stress on growth, carcass qualities, and some serum metabolites of broiler chickens.
abstract: This study was conducted to determine the effects of chromium (chromium picolinate, CrPic) supplementation at various levels (0, 200, 400, 800, or 1200 microg/kg of diet) on performance, carcass characteristics, and some serum metabolites of broiler chickens (Ross) reared under heat stress (32.8 degrees C). One hundred fifty old male broilers were randomly assigned to 5 treatment groups, 3 replicates of 10 birds each. The birds were fed either a control diet or the control diet supplemented with either 200, 400, 800, or 1200 microg Cr/kg of diet. Increased supplemental chromium resulted in an increase in body weight (p = 0.01, linear), feed intake (p < or = 0.05, linear), and carcass characteristics (p < or = 0.05, linear) and improved feed efficiency (p = 0.01, linear). Increased supplemental chromium decreased serum corticosterone concentration (p = 0.01, linear), whereas it increased serum insulin and T3 and T4 concentrations (p = 0.01). Serum glucose and cholesterol concentrations decreased (p = 0.01), whereas protein concentrations increased linearly (p = 0.001) with higher dietary chromium supplementation. Results of the present study conclude that a supplementation of diet with chromium at 1200 ppb can alleviate the detrimental effects of heat stress in broiler.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Nutrition, Veterinary Faculty, University of Firat, Elazig, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kazim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Nurhan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Muhittin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onderci
authors.forename: Ferit
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gursu
authors.forename: Gurkan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cikim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002645:Chickens; D002857:Chromium / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D002857:Chromium; D003345:Corticosterone