title: Effects of sex and dietary phosphorus level on the apparent metabolizable energy and nutrient digestibility in broiler chickens.
abstract: The influence of sex of broilers and dietary phosphorus (P) level on energy utilization and apparent ileal digestibility of N, P and phytate-P were investigated. The AME(N) was determined using 3- and 6-week old broilers, while the apparent ileal digestibility were determined only with 6-week old birds. Sex of broilers had no effect on the AME(N) values determined during week 3. During week 6, the AME(N) values for male broilers were higher (P < 0.01) than those for the females. An interaction (P < 0.05) between sex and dietary P level was also observed. AME(N) values determined with male broilers were lower in the adequate-P diet compared to those in the low-P diet, whereas no effect of P level was observed in females. Female broilers tended (P < 0.10) to have a higher ileal N digestibility than the males, but a significant (P < 0.01) sex x P level interaction was observed. Males receiving the adequate-P diet had a lower N digestibility than those receiving the low-P diet, whereas the opposite was true in the females. Ileal phytate P degradation in males was higher than in females (0.282 vs. 0.234), but the differences were not significant. Increasing dietary P level increased ileal P digestibility in both the males and females, but the improvements were greater in the females, as indicated by a significant sex x P level interaction.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. V.Ravindran@massey.ac.nz
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ravindran
authors.forename: Y B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Hendriks
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism*; D004063:Digestion; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007082:Ileum / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D009753:Nutritive Value; D016226:Phosphorus, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D010833:Phytic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D016226:Phosphorus, Dietary; D010833:Phytic Acid; D009584:Nitrogen