Effects of conjugated linoleic acids on growth performance, serum lysozyme activity, lymphocyte proliferation, and antibody production in broiler chicks.
This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) on growth performance and immune responses in broiler chicks. A total of 240 day-old Arbor Acre male broiler chicks were randomly allotted into four dietary treatments with different inclusion levels of CLA (0, 2.5, 5.0 or 10.0 g/kg) for six weeks. Growth performance, peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) proliferation, lysozyme activity, phagocytic activity (carbon clearance) and serum antibody titers against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine were examined. There were no significant differences in growth performance among treatments (p > 0.05). Chicks fed CLA diets produced more lysozyme activity in serum than the control group at 2 and 6 weeks of age (p < 0.05). Dietary CLA enhanced the PBL proliferation in response to concanavalin A (ConA) at the age of 42 d (p < 0.05). Phagocytic ability was also affected by dietary CLA and chicks fed CLA diets had faster carbon clearance rate (p < 0.05), but antibody titers to NDV was not influenced by dietary CLA. The results of the study suggested that dietary CLA could enhance innate and cellular immune response in broiler chicks, and not affect the growth performance.
Zhang
Haijun
H
Department of Animal Nutrition & Feed Science, College of Animal Science & Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing.
Guo
Yuming
Y
Yuan
Jianmin
J
D000821:Animal Feed; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D044243:Linoleic Acids, Conjugated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009113:Muramidase / Q000097:blood*; D009522:Newcastle disease virus / Q000276:immunology; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D044243:Linoleic Acids, Conjugated; D014765:Viral Vaccines; D009113:Muramidase