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Year 2014 - Volume 34, Number 5
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Sources of oil in the diet and its influence on the performance and the immunity of broilers, 34(5):409-414
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ABSTRACT.- Pinto M.F., Lima V.M.F., Ribeiro S.C., Bossolani I.L.C., Ponsano E.H.G. & Garcia-Neto M. 2014. [Sources of oil in the diet and its influence on the performance and the immunity of broilers.] Fontes de óleo na dieta e sua influência no desempenho e na imunidade de frangos de corte. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 34(5):409-414. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária de Araçatuba, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Rua Clóvis Pestana 793, Araçatuba, SP 16050-680, Brazil. E-mail: hipiatra@gmail.com
The fatty acid composition in the diet can affect the productive performance and the immune system of broiler chickens. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the consumption of oils rich in omega-6 (n-6 PUFA) and omega-3 (n-3 PUFA) polyunsaturated fatty acids on the performance and the immune response of broilers submitted to an antigenic challenge. Diets were formulated with either 7% soybean oil (SO), linseed oil (LO) or sardine oil (PO) and provided to 240 Cobb broilers which were divided into 24 groups of 10 birds each, following a 3x2 experimental arrangement (3 types of oil and vaccinated or non-vaccinated birds) and four replications. Soybean oil is rich in linoleic acid (n-6 PUFA), linseed oil a source of alfa-linolenic acid (n-3 PUFA) and the sardine oil is a source of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (other n-3 PUFA). Feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion were evaluated at 21, 35 and 42 days. Half of the birds were vaccinated against Newcastle disease at 7 and 21 days. Fifteen days after the immunization, the production of antibodies was evaluated by ELISA and expressed by optical density at 450 nm (O.D. 450 nm). Only the birds fed ration containing SO presented higher humoral immune response (p<0.05) after vaccination. The lymphoproliferative response, which expresses the cellular immunity, was higher in vaccinated than in the unvaccinated birds (P<0.05), regardless of the oil used. Neither the oil source in the ration nor the vaccination influenced birds’ weight gain (P>0.05). The vaccination impaired the feed conversion of the birds fed diet containing SO (P<0.05) but did not influence feed conversion of the birds fed rations with LO or PO (P>0.05). The use of oil rich in n-6 PUFA in broilers’ diet increased humoral response, but did not influence the cellular response against an antigenic challenge. |
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