title: Effects of Rhodiola on production, health and gut development of broilers reared at high altitude in Tibet.
abstract: Rhodiola has long been used as a traditional medicine to increase resistance to physical stress in humans in Tibet. The current study was designed to investigate whether Rhodiola crenulata (R. crenulata) could alleviate the negative effects of hypoxia on broiler chickens reared in Tibet Plateau. The effect of supplementing crushed roots of R. crenulata on production performance, health and intestinal morphology in commercial male broilers was investigated. Dietary treatments included CTL (basal diet), Low-R (basal diet + 0.5% R. crenulata) and High-R (basal diet + 1.5% R. crenulata). In comparison with broilers fed the control diet, Low-R had no effect on production performance while High-R significantly decreased average daily feed intake at d 14, 28 and 42, body weight at d 28 and 42 and gut development. Ascites induced mortality did not differ among treatments. Nevertheless Low-R significantly reduced non-ascites induced mortality and total mortality compared with broilers fed CTL and High-R diets. Broilers fed the High-R diet had significantly increased blood red blood cell counts and hemoglobin levels at 28 d compared with other treatments. Our results suggest that supplementation with Rhodiola might reduce the effects of hypoxia on broilers and consequently decrease mortality rate.
authors.affiliation: 1] College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China [2] College of Animal Science, Agricultural and Animal Husbandry College of Tibet University, Nyingchi, Tibet, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science, Agricultural and Animal Husbandry College of Tibet University, Nyingchi, Tibet, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Honghui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1] College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China [2] Department of Animal Science, McGill University, 21, 111 Lakeshore, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada, H9X 3V9.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D001201:Ascites; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D029771:Rhodiola / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D018609:Tibet
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D010936:Plant Extracts