EFFECTS OF PRODUCTION STRESSES AND ASCORBIC ACID SUPPLEMENTATION ON SOME BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN THE DOMESTIC FOWL (Gallus domesticus)
EFFECTS OF PRODUCTION STRESSES AND ASCORBIC ACID SUPPLEMENTATION ON SOME BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN THE DOMESTIC FOWL (Gallus domesticus)
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Date
1999-08
Authors
AMEHIGAH, SUNDAY
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Abstract
Modern large-scale poultry production is associated with many stress factors. These include exposure
to high light and temperature, multiple entries to pens, over-crowding, transportation between farms, etc. It
is also known that response to stress can be by way of changes in certain biocheitnical parameters in animals
and that ascorbic acid and other micro-nutrient elements supplementation to some extent reduces the effects
of stress. This work is aimed at studying the effects of some of these stress factors and the possible role of
ascorbic acid in ameliorating the effects. To this end, a total of eight hundred (800) day-old broilers from
which a representative sample of five hundred (500) broilers was randomly drawn was experimented with
in stages to evaluate the effects of age, sex and stress factors (high / low light exposure, a high / low number
of entry to pen and transportation), litis was done with and without ascorbic acid supplementation (300mg
/ kg diet). Haematocrit (PCV), total serum cholesterol, total serum protein, total! serum creatinine and total
available serum sugars were the selected biochemical parameters whose levels were monitored as indices of
stress. The results showed that age and sex had similar effects on the levels of these biochemical parameters
in the broilers. There were no changes in PCV with age (P > 0.01). But levels of other biochemical
parameters showed some significant changes (P < 0.01), particularly more so in male broilers than in the
female ones. High light exposure generally increased the levels of the biochemical parameters especially up
to the age of 5 weeks. In some cases, the increase is sex dependent. A high number of entries into the pen
significantly increased (P < 0.01) the levels of the biochemical parameters in broilers, except for total
cholesterol level which dropped (P < 0.01) in male broilers at 8 weeks of age. Similarly, total protein and
creatinine levels decreased (P < 0.01) in male and female broilers at 8 weeks of age; while total sugar levels
decreased (P < 0.01) in male and female broilers at 3 and 5 weeks of age. But, low light exposure and a low
number of entry into the pen were similar in not causing any significant change (P > 0.01) to the levels of the
biochemical parameters. Transportation significantly increased (P < 0.01) only the total cholesterol and sugar
levels in broilers at 8 weeks of age. Ascorbic acid supplementation introduced selectivity to the effects of
stress factors on the levels of the biochemical parameters. This was shown through either the maintenance
of homeostatic levels (P > 0.01), significant increase or decrease (P < 0.01) of levels. It is observed from this
work that change of levels of the biochemical parameters in broilers during production is as a result of the
production stresses. The study showed that ascorbic acid supplementation (300mg / kg diet) in broilers, to
some extent, ameliorated some of the adverse effects of these production stresses in broilers.
Description
A Thesis submitted to the Postgraduate School, Ahmadu Bello University, in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Science in
Biochemistry.
DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY
FACULTY OF SCIENCE
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY
ZARIA - NIGERIA
AUGUST, 1999
Keywords
EFFECTS, PRODUCTION STRESSES, ASCORBIC ACID, SUPPLEMENTATION, BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS, DOMESTIC FOWL (Gallus domesticus)