Effects of supplemental dietary taurine on immune response of broiler chicks
1993
Lacetera, N.G. (Universita della Tuscia, Viterbo (Italy). Istituto di Zootecnica) | Polidori, P. | Bellagamba, F. | Moretti, V.M. | Maggi, G.L. | Valfre, F. (Milan Univ. (Italy). Istituto di Zootecnica)
The experiment was carried out using 240 Cobb male chicks. Chicks were assigned to two groups characterized by the utilization of two different diets prepared excluding (D1) and including (D2) protein of animal origin. Each of the two dietary groups was further divided in three subgroups in relation to the level of added taurine (0, 0.6 and 0.9%). At 21 days of age 180 chicks (90 per group) were injected with a vaccine containing Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and a strain of Pasteurella anatipestifer (Pa) serotype 1. At 14, 21 and 28 days post-vaccination serum antibody titers were determined. At 42 days of age the 60 birds (30 per group) not vaccinated were inoculated in the centre of the wattle with phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P). Addition of 0.6 and 0.9% of taurine to D2 determined an increase (P0.05) of antibody titers to NDV and a stronger answer (P0.05) to PHA-P challenge. Addition of taurine to D1 did not determine any significant modification of immune response. Values of the supramentioned parameters did not significantly differ between chicks fed the two diets without added taurine
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