ABSTRACT This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with capsaicinoids on the performance and gene expression of broilers. At 18 days of age, 120 male broilers chickens (Cobb 500) were distributed in a completely randomized design with three treatments, eight replicates, and five birds per experimental unit. The treatments were a basal diet or basal diet with the addition of 1 or 2 mg of capsaicinoids/kg of diet. The birds had free access to water and feed throughout the experimental period (18 to 26 days of age). Broiler performance was evaluated at 26 days of age, and one bird per experimental unit was selected to collect serum and jejunum samples. Jejunum samples were used to analyze the mRNA content. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, and the means were compared with Tukey’s test at a significance of 0.05. There was no effect of capsaicinoid supplementation on performance, serum metabolites, or the expression of glutathione peroxidase mRNA in the jejunum of broilers. However, broilers supplemented with capsaicinoids showed a higher mRNA expression of Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase and a reduced mRNA expression of nuclear factor-κB in the jejunum. Supplementation with 1 and 2 mg/kg capsaicinoids did not improve the performance of broilers from 18 to 26 days of age but increased the mRNA expression of Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase and reduced the mRNA expression of nuclear factor-κB in the jejunum of broilers.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary nucleotide supplementation on growth performance, serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and uric acid levels, immune-related organs, and intestinal morphometric parameters of broiler chickens under pre- and post-inflammatory challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Ninety-six seven-day-old male broiler chicks were randomized in a 2×2 factorial design composed of two dietary types (supplemented with 0 and 0.3 g of purified nucleotides/kg of feed) and two inflammatory conditions (with and without LPS administration) with eight replicates per treatment and three birds per cage. The experimental period was divided into two phases: 7-20 days of age (pre-LPS challenge) and 21-35 days of age (post-LPS challenge). Data were analyzed using one-way and two-way ANOVA for the pre- and post-challenge phases, respectively. During the pre-challenge phase, dietary nucleotide supplementation improved body weight (982 vs. 1009 g/bird), daily weight gain (58.1 vs. 60.1 g/bird), feed conversion rate (1.28 vs. 1.25 g/g), and serum concentration of IgG (1.17 vs. 1.76 mg/mL) of broilers. During the post-challenge phase, nucleotide supplementation increased serum IgG of broilers at 28 days of age (3.01 vs. 4.34 mg/mL). For the intestinal morphometric parameters, nucleotide supplementation increased villus height (299.3 vs. 315.6 μm). Dietary nucleotide supplementation improves the performance of broilers from seven to 20 days of age (pre-LPS challenge). However, from 21 to 35 days of age, supplementation of 0.3 g of purified nucleotides/kg of feed, independent of inflammatory challenge, does not contribute to improve performance of broilers. Additionally, nucleotide supplementation increases IgG production and villus height in the jejunum of broilers.

Objetivou-se com este estudo avaliar o efeito da redução de nutrientes e energia suplementada ou não com fitase para frango de corte na fase 14 a 24 dias de idade no consumo, excreção e balanço de nitrogênio, de cálcio e de fósforo. Foram distribuídos 392 frangos de corte em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, utilizando-se arranjo fatorial 3 x 2 + 1 que consistiram de nível reduzido de cálcio e fósforo; níveis reduzidos de aminoácidos e energia; níveis reduzidos cálcio, fósforo, aminoácidos e energia x com e sem enzima + controle positivo, totalizando sete tratamentos com oito repetições de sete aves por unidade experimental. Nas dietas com fitase utilizou-se 500 FTU de fitase/kg de ração. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas por contrastes ortogonais através do teste F. Os resultados demonstram que a enzima fitase utilizada permitiu diminuir a quantidade de nutriente e energia das rações, proporcionando redução de 21,34% na excreção de cálcio e balanço de cálcio de 20,16%. Similarmente, reduções das quantidades de excreção de nitrogênio em 7,56% e fósforo em 21,34%, diminuindo a excreção desses nutrientes e aumentando o balanço de nitrogênio e fósforo em 9,41 e 33,94% em média, respectivamente.

Theobjective of thisstudywas to evaluatethe effect ofreducedcalcium, phosphorus, energy andamino aciddietsupplemented withphytase forbroilersin the growth phase(14 to28 days)on the ofnitrogen, calciumand phosphorus balance. We distributed392male broilersofCobb, in a completely randomizedin a factorial3 x2 + 1Reduced levelofCaandP; Reduced levels ofamino acidsand energylevelsreducedCa, P, andamino acids x with and withoutenzyme+positive control), seven treatmentswitheight replicatesof sevenchicks each. In the diets with phytasewas used 500 FTU of phytase/ kg diet.Data weresubmitted to varianceanalysisandaverages werecomparedby theF test fororthogonal contrasts. Through the results can be seen that the enzyme phytase used thus of 21,34% reduction in calcium excretion end apparent retention ratio of calcium to 20,16%. Similarly, reductions of nitrogen excretion by 7,56% and phosphorus excretion by 21,34%, the environmental impact reducing caused by the excretion of these nutrientes of these nutrientes and increasing the apparent retention ratio of 9,41 and 33,94% in average, respectively.