Effect of administration of two forms of vitamin D in a feed mixture on

Effect of administration of two forms of vitamin D in a feed mixture on

Roczniki Naukowe Polskiego Towarzystwa Zootechnicznego,
t. 6 (2010), nr 2
Effect of administration
of two forms of vitamin D in a feed
mixture on the strength traits
of the femur bone of broiler chickens
Monika Michalczuk', Tomasz Szara2,
Andrzej Bereznowski ', Urszula Serwa", Marcin Winkowski4
lWarsaw University ofLife Sciences (SGGW), Faculty of Animai Sciences,
Department of Animai Breeding,
Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw
2WarsawUniversity of Life Sciences (SGGW), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
Department of Morphological Sciences,
Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw
3WarsawUniversity ofLife Sciences (SGGW), Faculty ofVeterinary Medicine,
Department of Livestock Diseases with Clinics,
Nowoursynowska 100,02-797 Warsaw
4DSM Nutritional Products Sp. z 0.0.,
Tarczyńska 113,96-320 Mszczonów
The research was conducted on 720 broiler chickens COBB 500 randomized
into three
feeding groups according to form and concentration
of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol
and
calcidiol) added to feed mixtures. Production scores were monitored over the who le rearing
period. After the slaughter of 9 mai e chickens and 9 female chickens the left femur bones
were taken for determination
of biomechanical parameters. The study revealed the usefulness
of partial substitution of vitamin D3 with calcidiol. The highest values of the European Yield
Index (EYI) as well as better qualitative parameters
of bone were found in the group
administered
the feed mixture supplemented
with 1240 lU of vitamin D3 and 2760 lU of
calcidiol.
KEY WORDS:
chicken broilers / vitamin D3 / calcidiol / femur
As a consequence of genetic improvement process, a vast advance has been achieved in the poultry industry in terms of production traits of broiler chickens. This has
been folIowed by modifications observed in a number of anatomical and physiological
properties of birds. This selection contributed to the shortening of the rearing period,
to increased dressing percentage and breast muscle weight, as well as reduced survivability of the birds as affected by disproportions in body conformation and diseases
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related to the so-called .Jeg weakness" [9]. The most common leg affections that
deteriorate the quality of broiler carcasses include: tibial chondrodysplasia (TD) and
femur degeneration (FD). Insufficient mineralization makes bones too weak to lift the
weight of fast-growing chickens which are reluctant to walking and are moving with
difficulties [15]. A considerable advance in the genetic engineering of poultry as well
as introduction of new lines of broiler chickens characterized by increased growth
performance enforces producers to provide the birds with optimal environmental and
feeding conditions [7, 8, 18]. Whitehead et al. [16], demonstrated that a substantial
increase in vitamin D3 level in a diet for chickens was feasible owing to the application
of its hydroxylated form (25-0H-D3 - calcidiol), which is a more easily available and
more effective source of the mentioned vitamin [12]. It is of a special significance in
pathological conditions of liver, its degeneration or failure [2,4,5, 17] as well as in the
initial period of growth when not all chickens have already developed an efficient
enzymatic system being indispensable for hydroxylation of vitamin D3 in liver [14].
The objective of the reported study was, therefore, to determine the effect of the
form of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol and calcidiol) administered in feed mixtures on
osteometrie and strength traits as well as on contents of calcium and phosphorus in the
femur bone of broiler chickens.
Materiał and methods
The research was conducted at the experimental farm of the Warsaw University of
Life Sciences (Warsaw, Poland) on 720 broiler chickens COBB 500 randomized into
three feeding groups, in three replications. The differentiating factor was the eontent of
various forms of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol and calcidiol) administered in starter,
grower and finisher typ e feed mixtures. The chickens from gro up l (controI) were fed
a feed mixture containing 4000 lU of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), whereas the chickens
from group 2 were receiving 2500 lU of vitamin D3 and 1500 lU of calcidiol (25-0HD3), and finally the birds from group 3 were administered 1240 lU of vitamin D3 and
2760 lU of calcidiol (25-0H-D3). Over the rearing period, chickens of all groups were
fed feed mixtures (cereal-soybean) produced by .Drosed Surowiec" Ltd. Company,
with the following nutritive values:
• Starter from day l till day 25 (total protein - 20.22%; metabolizable
12.62 MJ).
energy -
• Grower from day 26 till day 35 (total protein - 19.33%; metabolizable
13.17 MJ).
energy -
• Finisher from day 35 till day 42 (total protein - 18.35%; metabolizable
13.39 MJ).
energy-
The feed mixtures administered to the birds were determined for the contents of
calcium and phosphorus (with the method of inductively coupled plasma-atomic ernission spectroscopy ICP-OES ar with the flame atomie absorption spectroscopy FAAS)
- table l. The chickens were reared following standards for rearing broilers recornmended by the COBB company.
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Table 1 - Tabela 1
The eontent of calcium and phosphorus in sampIes of feed mixtures (%)
Zawartość wapnia i fosforu w próbkach pobranej mieszanki paszowej (%)
Signaturę
Group
Type of feed mixture
Symbol
Grupa
Typ mieszanki paszowej
Grower
Starter
ea
P
I
2
1.008
Finisher
3
0.957
0.956
0.931
0.941
1.002
1.002
0.838
I
2
0.767
0.867
0.905
0.835
0.749
0.698
3
0.801
0.831
0.769
0.943
Over the entire experimental period, all production scores were monitored in order
to compute the European Yield Index (EYI) for the whole rearing period. On termination of the rearing period (on day 42), 9 male and 9 female chickens with a body weight
similar to the average body weight in a group were selected for slaughter. After the
slaughter, their left femur bones were prepared for further analyses. The bones were
cIeaned off sof t tissues, weighed and measured (with an electronic slide caliper) for
length and depth of diaphysis. Afterwards, the bones were determined for density (X-ray
examination acc. to the method postulated by Czerwiński [3]). Radiograms ofthe femur
bones were performed in the A-P projection on MIN-R S mammographic films by
Kodak, maintaining constant conditions of exposure (40kV, 200m A, 40ms). Apart from
the bon es examined, an aluminum wedge (standard) was fixed on the film. The photos
were developed in an automatically-operated darkroom, then scanned and saved in a PC
computer using aPlustek OpticPro ST 48 flatbed scanner equipped with a transparency
adaptor. The resultant images were analyzed with the Image J software. The image of
the aluminum wedge served to plot a calibration curve which enabled determining
surface density of the bones. Knowing the thickness of the bones, their volumetric
density (BMD) expressed in g/cm-', was computed. Afterwards, determinations
were
made for the breaking strength traits of the femur bone based on a three-point bone
fracture test conducted with the use of Zwick 1445 universal testing system. The bones
were fixed on supports arranged in 4 cm spacing. The breaking rate was 5 cm/min; the
impact force was perpendicular to the bone (90°). Results of measurements were registered with computer software at the frequency of 100 Hz. The maximai break ing
strength was determined based on break ing curves. After osteometrie and biomechanical
determinations, the bones were determined for the levels of Ca and P with the method
of inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy
ICP-OES or with the
flame atomie absorption spectroscopy FAAS.
The results obtained were elaborated statistically with the analysis of variance,
computed with the method of least squares in SPSS 14.0 PL statistical software for
Windows [13].
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ResuIts and discussion
In all experimental groups production performance was found satisfactory. The EYI
value was the highest in group 3 (361 pts), which was determined by high survivability
of the chickens and lower feed intake. In the other groups, values of that index were
lower, i.e. 350 pts. in group 2 and 345 pts. in group 1 (contral). Improvement of
production performance, namely 9% increase in body weight and 6% increase in feed
conversion ratio (P::;0.05) upon the administration of vitamin D3 metabolite eonfirm
earlier results achieved by Janocha et a\. [6] and Świątkićwicz et a\. [14].
The analysis of the osteometrie traits demonstrated that the femur bones sampled
from chickens receiving the highest dose of ca\cidiol were characterized by the lowest
value of the depth of diaphysis, yet no statistically significant differences were confirmed for that trait (tab. 2 and 3). In tum, bones of the chickens administered the feed
mixture with the highest dose of ca\cidiol were shorter as compared to these of the
control birds.
Table 2 - Tabela 2
Osteometrie traits of femur bones and contents of calcium and phosphorus - males
Cechy osteometryczne kości udowych oraz zawartość wapnia i fosforu - koguty
Bones of the chickens from the experimental groups were characterized by higher,
statistically significant, levels of ca1cium and phosphorus. In contrast, Rennie et al. [11]
did not demonstrated any differences in contents of ca1cium and phosphorus after
supplementing diet for broiler chickens with 1,25 (OH)2 choleca1ciferol.
The strength traits of the bones, expressed by the value of the maximum force
(Fmax) and the value of breaking tension (N/cm2) (tab. 5) as well as bone mineral den sity
- BMD (tab. 4), were observed to differ as affected by the form and dose of vitamin
D administered to the birds. There were no statistically significant differences in values
of the maximum force and breaking tension between control group (vitamin D3) and
groups receiving calcidiol addition. Femur bones of the male chickens adrninistered the
feed mixture with the addition of 2760 lU of 25-0H-D3 were characterised by the
highest values of the strength traits, i.e. the maximum force higher by nearly 9 N and
the breaking tension higher by 1031 N/cm2 than the respective values recorded in the
control group. Bones of the male chickens from group 2 were also more resistant to
breaking than these of the control birds.
Table 4 - Tabela 4
Bone mineral den sity - the femur bane
Gęstość mineralna tkanki kostnej - kość udowa
Group
Grupa
Bone mineral density
Gęstość mineralna tkanki kostnej
(g/crrr')
1
2
3
SEM
maJes
koguty
females
kury
0.691
0.683
0.719
0.02
0.668
0.688
0.699
0.02
In the case of female chickens, better parameters of the breaking strength test were
determined for femur bones sampled from the birds of groups 2 and 3, as compared to
the hens fed a feed mixture containing only vitamin D3 (tab. 5). In a study by Puzio et
al. [10], the administration of phytase in a diet for chickens had no significant effect on
the quality of their bon es, but substitution of vitamin D3 with 1,25 (OH)2D3 was found
to improve both the strength and geometrie traits of the femur.
The mineral density of the osseous tissue reached the highest values in male and
female chickens from gro up 3 and in female chickens from group 2, however no
statistically significant differences were confirmed between the experimental groups.
The relatively high values of BMD in female chickens from gro up 2 indicate a higher
effectiveness of diet supplementation with ca1cidiol in the case of male chickens, which
has be en confirmed by values of breaking tension achieved in the breaking strength test
of the femur bone. The lower resistance to bone fracture observed in the male chickens
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Table 5 - Tabela 5
Breaking strength traits offemur bone
Cechy wytrzymałościowe kości udowych
Group
Grupa
l
2
3
SEM
Maximum force (Fmd
Siła maksymalna (Fm,,)
(N)
małes
femałes
koguty
kury
Breaking tension
Naprężenie łamiące
(N/cm')
małes
femałes
koguty
kury
319.89
326.44
260.93
277.75
328.83
16.3
244.63
14.9
5418.95
6038.82
6450.10
5.63
6166.24
6656.30
6557.96
7.06
mayaIso result from disorders in calcium metabolism. A higher frequency of these
problems in male than female chickens was confirmed in a study by Bains et al. [1].
In summary, it may be conc1uded that feed mixture supplementation with calcidiol
affected beneficially the metric and strength traits as well as values of mineral density
of the femur bone of broiler chickens. However, the lack of statistical differences points
to the need for continuing the research with a higher number of birds.
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Monika Michalczuk, Tomasz Szara, Andrzej Bereznowski,
Urszula Serwa, Marcin Winkowski
Wpływ podanych w paszy dwóch form witaminy D na wskaźniki
wytrzymałościowe kości udowej kurcząt brojlerów
Streszczenie
Badania przeprowadzono na 720 kurczętach brojlerach COBB 500, podzielonych losowo na
trzy grupy żywieniowe, różniące się formą i ilością witaminy D3 (cholekalcyferolu i kalcydiolu)
podanej do paszy. W okresie odchowu kurcząt kontrolowano wyniki produkcyjne, po uboju od 9
kogutów i 9 kur wypreparowano lewe kości udowe w celu określenia ich parametrów wytrzymałościowych. Badania wykazały celowość częściowego zastąpienia witaminy D3 kalcydiolern.
Stwierdzono najwyższy EWW (Europejski Wskaźnik Wydajności) w grupie kurcząt otrzymującej
w diecie 1240 lU wit. D3 i 2760 lU kalcydiolu oraz lepsze parametry jakościowe kości udowej
kurcząt broj lerów.
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