Evaluation of the Effect of Ascorbic Acid and Methionine Hydroxy Analogue on Performance and Liver Histology of Broilers under Heat Stress Conditions
Subject Areas : Journal of Animal Biology
Mahsa
Erfani
1
(Department of Animal Science, Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch, Karaj, Iran)
Nima
Eila
2
(Department of Animal Science, Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch, Karaj, Iran)
Abolfazl
Zarei
3
(Department of Animal Science, Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch, Karaj, Iran)
Alireza
Noshary
4
(Department of Animal Science, Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch, Karaj, Iran)
Keywords: Ascorbic acid, broiler chicken, heat stress, liver, Methionine Hydroxy Analogue,
Abstract :
The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of ascorbic acid and methionine hydroxy analogue (MHA) on performance and liver histology of broilers under heat stress conditions. To perform the experiment, 400 one-day-old male chickens of commercial Ross 308 strain were used in a completely randomized design with four treatments and five iterations (each iteration contained 20 chickens). The experimental treatments included: 1) base diet based on maize-soybean (the control), 2) base diet with 0.2% vitamin C, 3) base diet with 0.46, 0.36, and 0.32% MHA, in the starter, grower, and finisher periods, respectively, and 4) base diet with a mixture of 0.2% vitamin C and 0.46, 0.36, and 0.32% of MHA in the starter, grower, and finisher periods, respectively. During the growth period, feed consumption in the treatment containing MHA had a significant increase compared to the control group (P <0.05). In the final period, feed conversion ratio in treatments using a mixture of vitamin C and MHA had a significant improvement compared to the control group (P <0.05). Hepatocyte diameter and hepatocyte nucleus diameter were significantly reduced in chickens receiving vitamin C and a mixture of vitamin C and MHA compared to the control group (P <0.05). The results of this experiment revealed that the use of a mixture of vitamin C and MHA compared to their separate use in the diet could be effective in reducing the negative effects of heat stress.
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