title: Effects of dietary L-carnitine and coenzyme Q10 supplementation on performance and ascites mortality of broilers.
abstract: The study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary L-carnitine and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation on growth performance and ascites mortality of broilers. A 3 x 3 factorial arrangement was employed with three levels (0, 75 and 150 mg/kg) of L-carnitine and three levels of CoQ10 (0, 20 and 40 mg/kg) supplementation during the experiment. Five hundred and forty one-day-old Arbor Acre male broiler chicks were randomly allocated into nine groups with six replicates each. All birds were fed with the basal diets from day 1 to 7 and changed to the experimental diets from day 8. During day 15 to 21 all the birds were exposed to low ambient temperature (15-18 degrees C) to induce ascites. The results showed that under this condition, growth performance of broilers were not significantly affected by CoQ10 or L-carnitine + CoQ10 supplementation during week 0-3 and 0-6, but body weight gain (BWG) of broilers was significantly reduced by 150 mg/ kg L-carnitine during week 0-6. Packed cell volume (PCV) of broilers was significantly decreased by L-carnitine and L-carnitine + CoQ10 supplementation (P < 0.05). Erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF), ascites heart index (AHI) and ascites mortality of broilers were significantly decreased by L-carnitine, CoQ10 and L-carnitine + CoQ10 supplementation. Though no significant changes were observed in total antioxidative capability (T-AOC), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) was increased by L-carnitine, CoQ10 and L-carnitine + CoQ10 supplementation (P < 0.05). Malonaldehyde (MDA) content was significantly decreased by CoQ10 and L-carnitine + CoQ10 supplementation. The results indicate that dietary L-carnitine and CoQ10 supplementation reduce ascites mortality of broilers; the reason may be partially associated with their antioxidative effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P R China. ailiangengcau@126.com
authors.forename: Ailian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Yuming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jianmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001201:Ascites / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D002331:Carnitine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development*; D003067:Coenzymes; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006400:Hematocrit / Q000662:veterinary; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009996:Osmotic Fragility; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011897:Random Allocation; D015996:Survival Rate; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D003067:Coenzymes; D014451:Ubiquinone; C024989:coenzyme Q10; D002331:Carnitine