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Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances

Effects of Dietary Vitamin C on Growth Performance, Meat Quality, Immune Function and Anti-Oxidative Capacity of Broilers
Z.Y. Niu, Y.N. Min, X.H. Wang, F.X. Wei, P.X. Jiao and F.Z. Liu

Abstract: This study was intended to assess effects of dietary vitamin C supplementation on growth performance, meat quality, immune function as well as anti-oxidative capacity of broilers. A total of 240, 1 day old Avian broiler chicks divided randomly into three treatments, each of which was composed of eight replicates with ten birds and birds fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet supplemented with 0, 150, 300 mg kg-1 vitamin C, respectively. Results showed that dietary vitamin C addition could significantly increased average daily weight gain and feed intake of the broilers (p<0.05) but did not have significant effects on their feed to gain ratio; compared with the control treatment, dietary vitamin C addition at 300 mg kg-1 could significantly increased the pectoral muscle percentages, abdominal fat percentages and liver weight ratio of broilers (p<0.05). Dietary vitamin C additions could significantly increase pectoral muscle b* and leg muscle L* of the broilers and that significantly improved the water holding capacity and tenderness of their leg muscles (p<0.05). The thymus index, bursa of Fabricius index, Newcastle disease antibody level of broilers were much higher where vitamin C was added at 300 mg kg-1 than in the control treatment indicating that immunity of broilers got effectively improved (p<0.05). Dietary vitamin C addition at 300 mg kg-1 significantly increased the vitamin C content in blood serum and pectoral muscles (p<0.05), also superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities and total anti-oxidative capacity in blood serum significantly increased (p<0.05), so that dietary vitamin C addition was helpful to eliminating free radicals and raising anti-oxidative capacities of broilers. Dietary vitamin C addition at 300 mg kg-1 significantly slowed down lipid per-oxidation and color variation of pectoral muscles while the muscles were refrigerated at 4°C, so that it took effect along with anti-oxidative enzymes to inhibit oxidation-caused meat quality deterioration, stabilize meat colors and prolong meat shelf life. Results of the present study indicated that dietary vitamin C addition at 150 mg kg-1 performed better in improving growth performances and immune functions of broilers and dietary vitamin C addition at 300 mg kg-1 performed better in improving body and muscle anti-oxidative capacity, reducing lipid per-oxidation in meat storage and prolonging meat shelf life.

How to cite this article
Z.Y. Niu, Y.N. Min, X.H. Wang, F.X. Wei, P.X. Jiao and F.Z. Liu, 2013. Effects of Dietary Vitamin C on Growth Performance, Meat Quality, Immune Function and Anti-Oxidative Capacity of Broilers. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 12: 1690-1699.

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