title: Effects of in ovo feeding with glycerol for broilers.
abstract: The objective was to evaluate the effect of in ovo feeding with glycerol on post-hatch development in broiler chicks. A total of 408 fertile eggs were divided into six experimental groups consisting of five 0.9% saline solutions containing various concentrations of glycerol (12.5, 25.0, 37.5 and 50.0 nmol/ml), and a placebo group (inoculation with saline only) and a control group (without inoculation). Inoculations were performed at 17 days of incubation for the evaluation of hatchability, embryo mortality, body and viscera weights, intestinal epithelium morphometry, blood glucose and liver glycerol kinase activity of chicks at hatching. Inoculation of solutions containing glycerol did not influence body weight at hatching and relative weights of liver, pancreas, intestine and breast. There was a quadratic effect of glycerol levels on the weights of yolk residue and gizzard and on blood glucose, and an increasing linear effect on spleen and heart weights. Higher duodenum and ileum villous height and deeper jejunum and ileum crypts were obtained with 50.0 nmol/ml of glycerol. A linear increasing effect was also observed in liver glycerol kinase activity; however, lower blood glucose was observed with 37.5 and 50 nmol/ml of glycerol. It is therefore concluded that glycerol may be used at doses of 25 nmol/ml as a substrate in in ovo feeding of broiler chickens. However, further studies must be conducted not only to establish an optimal dose but also to evaluate the combination of this substrate with other nutrients used in the in ovo feeding.
authors.affiliation: Animal Science Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Medicine Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Retes
authors.affiliation: Animal Science Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Medicine Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agronomy, University of José do Rosário Vellano/Fundação de Ensino e Tecnologia de Alfenas (UNIFENAS/FETA), Alfenas-MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Naves
authors.affiliation: Animal Science Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Alvarenga
authors.affiliation: Animal Science Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Fassani
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Medicine Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Medicine Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Medicine Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Zangeronimo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005990:Glycerol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007267:Injections; D007422:Intestines / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D010063:Ovum; D010179:Pancreas / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D005990:Glycerol
keywords: embryo development; energetic substrate; in ovo nutrition; intestinal epithelium; poultry production