Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation and stocking density effects on broiler performance: behavior, biochemistry, immunity, and small intestinal histomorphology

Abstract Background Rearing poultry under stressful high stocking density (HSD) conditions is a common commercial practice to increase profitability, despite its negative effects on broiler physiology and welfare. Many feed additives are used to alleviate the negative impact of such practices. This...

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Main Authors: Mohammad Alaa, Abeer Hamada Abdel Razek, Mohamed Ahmed Tony, Aya Mohye Yassin, Mohamad Warda, Mohamed Ahmed Awad, Basma Mohamed Bawish
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2024-12-01
Series:Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-024-00782-6
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author Mohammad Alaa
Abeer Hamada Abdel Razek
Mohamed Ahmed Tony
Aya Mohye Yassin
Mohamad Warda
Mohamed Ahmed Awad
Basma Mohamed Bawish
author_facet Mohammad Alaa
Abeer Hamada Abdel Razek
Mohamed Ahmed Tony
Aya Mohye Yassin
Mohamad Warda
Mohamed Ahmed Awad
Basma Mohamed Bawish
author_sort Mohammad Alaa
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Rearing poultry under stressful high stocking density (HSD) conditions is a common commercial practice to increase profitability, despite its negative effects on broiler physiology and welfare. Many feed additives are used to alleviate the negative impact of such practices. This study investigated the ameliorative effects of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) on growth performance, ingestive behavior, immune response, antioxidant status, stress indicators, and intestinal histomorphometry of broilers subjected to HSD. A total of 364 male broilers were randomly allocated into four treatments with 7 replicates each in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: two stocking densities (SD) (10 and 16 birds/m2) and two GAA levels (0 and 0.6 g/kg feed). Results Body weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, production efficiency factor, dressing yield, and ingestive behavior were negatively affected by HSD, whereas the mortality rate was unaffected (P > 0.05). GAA improved the overall growth performance and dressing percentage (P < 0.05). In the HSD group, the immune response decreased at d 21 (P < 0.05). Creatine kinase, glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase, catalase, triglycerides, and villus length and width (ileum) were reduced, whereas corticosterone (CORT) was increased (P < 0.05). Moreover, GAA increased the hemagglutination-inhibition titer at 21 days and the levels of lactate dehydrogenase, GPX, and catalase and decreased the levels of creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, nitrite, triglycerides, and CORT (P < 0.05). SD and GAA did not affect malondialdehyde or other biochemical parameters (P > 0.05). Conclusions Dietary GAA supplementation can improve productivity and antioxidant status and reduce stress in broilers reared in a HSD environment.
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spelling doaj-art-97ad1c3386bd4489b5603f1fa5d1f0c02024-12-22T12:38:48ZengBMCActa Veterinaria Scandinavica1751-01472024-12-0166111910.1186/s13028-024-00782-6Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation and stocking density effects on broiler performance: behavior, biochemistry, immunity, and small intestinal histomorphologyMohammad Alaa0Abeer Hamada Abdel Razek1Mohamed Ahmed Tony2Aya Mohye Yassin3Mohamad Warda4Mohamed Ahmed Awad5Basma Mohamed Bawish6Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo UniversityDepartment of Veterinary Hygiene and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo UniversityDepartment of Nutrition and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo UniversityDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo UniversityDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo UniversityDepartment of Cytology and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo UniversityDepartment of Veterinary Hygiene and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo UniversityAbstract Background Rearing poultry under stressful high stocking density (HSD) conditions is a common commercial practice to increase profitability, despite its negative effects on broiler physiology and welfare. Many feed additives are used to alleviate the negative impact of such practices. This study investigated the ameliorative effects of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) on growth performance, ingestive behavior, immune response, antioxidant status, stress indicators, and intestinal histomorphometry of broilers subjected to HSD. A total of 364 male broilers were randomly allocated into four treatments with 7 replicates each in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: two stocking densities (SD) (10 and 16 birds/m2) and two GAA levels (0 and 0.6 g/kg feed). Results Body weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, production efficiency factor, dressing yield, and ingestive behavior were negatively affected by HSD, whereas the mortality rate was unaffected (P > 0.05). GAA improved the overall growth performance and dressing percentage (P < 0.05). In the HSD group, the immune response decreased at d 21 (P < 0.05). Creatine kinase, glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase, catalase, triglycerides, and villus length and width (ileum) were reduced, whereas corticosterone (CORT) was increased (P < 0.05). Moreover, GAA increased the hemagglutination-inhibition titer at 21 days and the levels of lactate dehydrogenase, GPX, and catalase and decreased the levels of creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, nitrite, triglycerides, and CORT (P < 0.05). SD and GAA did not affect malondialdehyde or other biochemical parameters (P > 0.05). Conclusions Dietary GAA supplementation can improve productivity and antioxidant status and reduce stress in broilers reared in a HSD environment.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-024-00782-6Broiler chickensGAAHemagglutination-inhibition testIngestive behaviorOxidative stressPerformance
spellingShingle Mohammad Alaa
Abeer Hamada Abdel Razek
Mohamed Ahmed Tony
Aya Mohye Yassin
Mohamad Warda
Mohamed Ahmed Awad
Basma Mohamed Bawish
Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation and stocking density effects on broiler performance: behavior, biochemistry, immunity, and small intestinal histomorphology
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
Broiler chickens
GAA
Hemagglutination-inhibition test
Ingestive behavior
Oxidative stress
Performance
title Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation and stocking density effects on broiler performance: behavior, biochemistry, immunity, and small intestinal histomorphology
title_full Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation and stocking density effects on broiler performance: behavior, biochemistry, immunity, and small intestinal histomorphology
title_fullStr Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation and stocking density effects on broiler performance: behavior, biochemistry, immunity, and small intestinal histomorphology
title_full_unstemmed Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation and stocking density effects on broiler performance: behavior, biochemistry, immunity, and small intestinal histomorphology
title_short Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation and stocking density effects on broiler performance: behavior, biochemistry, immunity, and small intestinal histomorphology
title_sort guanidinoacetic acid supplementation and stocking density effects on broiler performance behavior biochemistry immunity and small intestinal histomorphology
topic Broiler chickens
GAA
Hemagglutination-inhibition test
Ingestive behavior
Oxidative stress
Performance
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-024-00782-6
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