Supranutrition of microalgal docosahexaenoic acid and calcidiol improved growth performance, tissue lipid profiles, and tibia characteristics of broiler chickens.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine if supranutritional levels of DHA and calcidiol impair growth performance or metabolism in broiler chickens and to assess their combined effects on lipid profiles and bone properties.
Results Summary
The study found that high levels of DHA and calcidiol improved growth performance (10-11% higher body weight gain), reduced cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in plasma and tissues (8-54% lower), and enhanced bone properties (8-24% stronger tibial breaking strength) without adverse effects.
Population
Day-old Cornish chicks (broiler chickens)
Effective Dosage
1% DHA-rich Aurantiochytrium (1.2 g DHA/kg diet) in Exp. 1; 0.33-0.66% DHA-rich oil (1.5-3.0 g DHA/kg diet) in Exp. 2
Duration
6 weeks
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BD + Cal diet | increase | body weight gain | Birds | 10%-11% | had higher | #1 |
BD + Cal diet | increase | gain:feed ratio | Birds | 7% | had higher | #2 |
BD + Cal diet | decrease | total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in plasma | Birds | 18%-54% | had lower | #3 |
BD + Cal diet | decrease | total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in liver | Birds | 8%-26% | had lower | #4 |
BD + Cal diet | decrease | total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in breast | Birds | 19%-26% | had lower | #5 |
BD + Cal diet | decrease | total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in thigh | Birds | 10%-19% | had lower | #6 |
BD + Cal diet | increase | tibial breaking strength | chickens | 8%-24% | improved | #7 |
BD + Cal diet | increase | total bone volume | chickens | 2%-13% | improved | #8 |
BD + Cal diet | increase | bone mineral density | chickens | 3%-19% | improved | #9 |
BD + DHA + EPA diet | increase | body weight gain | Birds | 10%-11% | had higher | #10 |
BD + DHA + EPA diet | increase | gain:feed ratio | Birds | 7% | had higher | #11 |
BD + DHA + EPA diet | decrease | total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in plasma | Birds | 18%-54% | had lower | #12 |
BD + DHA + EPA diet | decrease | total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in liver | Birds | 8%-26% | had lower | #13 |
BD + DHA + EPA diet | decrease | total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in breast | Birds | 19%-26% | had lower | #14 |
BD + DHA + EPA diet | decrease | total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in thigh | Birds | 10%-19% | had lower | #15 |
BD + DHA + EPA diet | increase | tibial breaking strength | chickens | 8%-24% | improved | #16 |
BD + DHA + EPA diet | increase | total bone volume | chickens | 2%-13% | improved | #17 |
BD + DHA + EPA diet | increase | bone mineral density | chickens | 3%-19% | improved | #18 |
Supranutrition of dietary calcidiol and DHA alone or together | no change | - | broiler chickens | - | did not produce adverse effects | #19 |
Supranutrition of dietary calcidiol and DHA alone or together | increase | growth performance | broiler chickens | - | led to moderate improvements | #20 |
Supranutrition of dietary calcidiol and DHA alone or together | increase | lipid profiles of plasma and muscle | broiler chickens | - | led to moderate improvements | #21 |
Supranutrition of dietary calcidiol and DHA alone or together | increase | bone properties | broiler chickens | - | led to moderate improvements | #22 |
BACKGROUND: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and calcidiol could be enriched in chicken for improving public nutrition and health. It remains unclear if supranutritional levels of DHA and calcidiol impair growth performance or metabolism of broiler chickens. This study was to determine singular and combined effects of high levels of supplemental DHA-rich microalgal biomass or oil and calcidiol on growth performance, concentrations of triglycerides, cholesterol, and nonesterfied fatty acids in plasma, liver, breast, and thigh, and biophysical properties of tibia. METHODS: In Exp. 1, 144 day-old Cornish chicks were divided into 4 groups (6 cages/treatment, 6 birds/cage), and were fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet (BD), BD + 10,000 IU calcidiol/kg (BD + Cal), BD + 1% DHA-rich Aurantiochytrium (1.2 g DHA/kg; BD + DHA), and BD + Cal + DHA for 6 weeks. In Exp. 2, 180 day-old chicks were divided into 5 groups, and were fed: BD, BD + DHA (0.33% to 0.66% oil, 1.5 to 3.0 g DHA/kg), BD + DHA + EPA (1.9% to 3.8% eicosapentaenoic acid-rich Nannochloropsis sp. CO18, 0.3 to 0.6 g EPA/kg), BD + DHA + calcidiol (6000 to 12,000 IU/kg diet), and BD + DHA + EPA + Cal for 6 weeks. RESULTS: Birds fed BD + Cal diet in Exp. 1 and BD + DHA + EPA diet in Exp. 2 had higher (P < 0.05) body weight gain (10%-11%) and gain:feed ratio (7%), and lower (P < 0.05) total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in plasma (18%-54%), liver (8%-26%), breast (19%-26%), and thigh (10%-19%), respectively, over the controls. The two diets also improved (P < 0.05) tibial breaking strength (8%-24%), total bone volume (2%-13%), and (or) bone mineral density (3%-19%) of chickens. CONCLUSION: Supranutrition of dietary calcidiol and DHA alone or together did not produce adverse effects, but led to moderate improvements of growth performance, lipid profiles of plasma and muscle, and bone properties of broiler chickens.