Effects of carnitine administration on layer chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus, Linnaues, 1758) fed with rations of two metabolizable energy levels
1999
Marte, B.R.G.
An experiment was conducted using sixty 72-week old Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) layer chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) in order to determine the influence of exogenous carnItine on body weight, liver gross lesions based on the number of hemorrhages and liver histopathologic lesions based on the degree of fatty degeneration and number of necrotic areas, ultrastructure of the liver, and on blood levels of glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides. The chickens were given two levels of metabolizable energy in their ration; one with 2,750 kcal/kg (standard) and the other with 2,900 kcal/kg (high energy). Two groups of birds consumed the standard ration and one group received carnitine supplementation in the drinking water. In the other two groups which consumed the high energy ration, one group also received carnitine supplementation via drinking water. The differing rations were not able to produce any differences in the body weight. There was a higher number of hemorrhages, degree of fatty degeneration and number of necrotic areas in the birds receiving the high energy ration than the birds consuming the standard ration. The organelles of the liver under the TEM was already unrecognizable in all groups. Carnitine addition did not decrease the lesions in the liver. Supplementation was able to decrease blood glucose level in all treatment groups. No effect on blood cholesterol was observed, while there was an elevation of blood triglycerides in birds receiving the standard ration
显示更多 [+] 显示较少 [-]