title: Effects of Forsythia suspensa extract on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and antioxidant activities in broiler chickens under high ambient temperature.
abstract: A 42-d trial was conducted with 252 broiler chickens (d 1 of age, 38.8 +/- 1.3 g of BW) to determine the effects of Forsythia suspensa extract on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and antioxidant activities under high ambient temperature (32 +/- 1 degrees C). The feeding program consisted of a starter diet from d 1 to 21 of age and a finisher diet from d 22 to 42 of age. Dietary treatments included a negative control group (NC) fed a cornsoybean meal based diet without vitamin C or Forsythia suspensa extract, a positive control group fed a diet with 200 mg of vitamin C/kg, and a test group (FS) fed with 100 mg of Forsythia suspensa extract/kg. There were 14 cages per treatment and 6 birds per cage during the study. Birds had free access to diets and water during the entire period. Body weight and feed intake were measured at d 21 and 42. Blood and tissue samples were collected at d 21 and 42 for assay of antioxidant indices. Growth performance did not differ among treatment groups during the starter period. In the finisher phase, birds in FS had greater (P < 0.05) average daily gain, feed conversion, and apparent digestibility of energy, CP, calcium, and phosphorus than birds in NC. Furthermore, birds in FS had greater (P < 0.05) total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase activity and lower (P < 0.05) malondialdehyde activity in the serum than birds in NC. The FS birds had greater (P < 0.05) muscle superoxide dismutase activity and lower (P < 0.05) malondialdehyde than NC birds. During the entire period, hepatic superoxide dismutase activity of FS birds was greater (P < 0.05) than that of NC birds. Dietary supplementation with Forsythia suspensa extract can enhance nutrient digestibility and growth performance possibly by reducing oxidative stress of broiler chickens under high ambient temperatures.
authors.affiliation: China Agricultural University, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X L
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: X S
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.forename: Y B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D004063:Digestion / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D031657:Forsythia / Q000737:chemistry*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006834:Hydrazines; D008297:Male; D010851:Picrates; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D006834:Hydrazines; D010851:Picrates; D010936:Plant Extracts; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl