title: Effects of Zinc Glycinate on Productive and Reproductive Performance, Zinc Concentration and Antioxidant Status in Broiler Breeders.
abstract: An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of zinc glycinate (Zn-Gly) supplementation as an alternative for zinc sulphate (ZnSO4) on productive and reproductive performance, zinc (Zn) concentration and antioxidant status in broiler breeders. Six hundred 39-week-old Lingnan Yellow broiler breeders were randomly assigned to 6 groups consisting of 4 replicates with 25 birds each. Breeders were fed a basal diet (control group, 24 mg Zn/kg diet), basal diet supplemented with 80 mg Zn/kg diet from ZnSO4or basal diet supplemented with 20, 40, 60 and 80 mg Zn/kg diet from Zn-Gly. The experiment lasted for 8 weeks after a 4-week pre-test with the basal diet, respectively. Results showed that Zn supplementation, regardless of sources, improved (P < 0.05) the feed conversion ratio (kilogram of feed/kilogram of egg) and decreased broken egg rate, and elevated (P < 0.05) the qualified chick rate. Compared with the ZnSO4group, the 80 mg Zn/kg Zn-Gly group significantly increased (P < 0.05) average egg weight, fertility, hatchability and qualified chick rate, whereas it decreased (P < 0.05) broken egg rate. The Zn concentrations in liver and muscle were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in 80 mg Zn/kg Zn-Gly group than that in ZnSO4group. Compared with ZnSO4group, 80 mg Zn/kg Zn-Gly group significantly elevated (P < 0.05) the mRNA abundances of metallothionein (MT) and copper-zinc superoxide (Cu-Zn SOD), as well as the Cu-Zn SOD activity and MT concentration in liver. Moreover, the 80 mg Zn/kg Zn-Gly group had higher (P < 0.05) serum T-SOD and Cu-Zn SOD activities than that in the ZnSO4group. This study indicated that supplementation of Zn in basal diet improved productive and reproductive performance, Zn concentration and antioxidant status in broiler breeders, and the 80 mg Zn/kg from Zn-Gly was the optimum choice for broiler breeders compared with other levels of Zn from Zn-Gly and 80 mg/kg Zn from ZnSO4.
authors.affiliation: Feed Science Institute, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, No. 866, Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhejiang A & F University, Linan, 311300, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yong-Xia
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Feed Science Institute, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, No. 866, Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Feed Science Institute, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, No. 866, Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jiang-Shui
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Feed Science Institute, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, No. 866, Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Feed Science Institute, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, No. 866, Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Kai-Xuan
authors.initials: KX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Feed Science Institute, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, No. 866, Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Tian-Yu
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Feed Science Institute, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, No. 866, Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China. xazan@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiu-An
authors.initials: XA
authors.lastname: Zhan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005998:Glycine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; C016838:zinc glycinate; D005998:Glycine
keywords: Antioxidant status; Broiler breeder; Productive and reproductive performance; Zinc glycinate; Zn retention