title: Effects of copper-loaded chitosan nanoparticles on growth and immunity in broilers.
abstract: Effects of dietary copper-loaded chitosan nanoparticle (CNP-Cu) supplementation on growth performance, hematological and immunological characteristics, and the cecal microbiota in broilers were investigated. Three hundred healthy Avian × Avian (1-d-old) broilers were randomly assigned into 5 dietary groups (20 birds per replicate with 3 replicates per group). Birds were fed with 0 (the control group), 50, 100, 150 mg/kg of CNP-Cu and 50 mg/kg chlorotetracycline (CTC, a positive control group) for 42 d. Results indicated that supplemental CNP-Cu could improve growth performance, affect the immune system, enhance protein synthesis, and be beneficial to cecal microbiota of Avian broilers, especially the dietary supplementation with 100 mg/kg of CNP-Cu. Supplementation with 100 mg/kg of CNP-Cu increased the average daily gain(P < 0.05) and the contents of IgA (P < 0.01), IgG (P < 0.01), IgM (P < 0.01), complement C3 (P < 0.05), and complement C4 (P < 0.05). Thymus, spleen, and bursa of Fabricus indexes and the populations of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in cecal digesta were increased (P < 0.05) by 100 mg/kg of CNP-Cu supplementation, and the population of coliforms was decreased (P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation with 100 mg/kg of CNP-Cu increased (P < 0.05) concentrations of serum total protein and albumin, and decreased (P < 0.05) the content of urea nitrogen in serum. Effects of dietary supplementation with 100 mg/kg of CNP-Cu were similar to 50 mg/kg of CTC supplementation. These results may indicate that CNP-Cu could be a new substitute for CTC in dietary supplementation.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: M Q
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002432:Cecum / Q000382:microbiology; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D048271:Chitosan / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003300:Copper / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D048271:Chitosan