Some physiological and immunological effects of phenyllactic acid in broiler chicks

Abstract EN

Some blood haemato-biochemical and immunological traits of broiler chicks have been investigated under the effect of phenyllactic acid (PA) treatment.

One hundred and fifty unsexed one-day-old Hubbard chicks (body weight of 47.9±0.8 g) were randomly allotted into five treatment groups.

Birds of first group served as control and fed control diet (basal diet), while other four groups were received basal diet plus L-3-phenyllactic acid in different levels, 0.075 % (PA1) ; 0.150 % (PA2) ; 0.225 % (PA3) or 0.300 % (PA4).

Blood serum contents of total protein, Albumin and Globulin were differed significantly (p < 0.05 or 0.01) due to PA treatment.

Birds group that received 0.150 % of PA was accompanied by the highest value of blood proteins.

No differences either among the other groups of PA or with the control group were noticed in blood proteins content.

Highly significantly differences were observed in blood contents of total lipids and cholesterol in response to phenyllactic acid treatment.

In general, birds treated with 0.75, 0.150 or 0.225 % of PA had lower levels of cholesterol than those of other experimental groups including the control one.

All PA treated groups had lower levels of total lipids than those of control one.

Birds group that received 0.150 % of PA recorded the lowest value of total lipids comparing with other experimental groups including the control one.

Blood glucose levels were affected significantly (P < 0.001) by PA treatment, since the significantly lowest value was recorded when birds supplemented by 0.75 % PA, while the highest one was observed in birds of control group.

Effects of PA treatment on transaminase enzymes of liver (AST and ALT) were significant (P < 0.01) only for ALT.

Birds treated with 0.075, 0.225 or 0.300 % of PA showed low levels of ALT enzyme versus those recorded by birds received 0.150 % of PA or by those of control group.

Red blood cells (RBCs) count, hemoglobin (Hb) and packed cell volume (PCV %) percentage of blood were affected significantly (P < 0.01) due to PA treatment.

Birds received 0.300 % PA showed significantly higher values of these traits than those of control group birds that had the lowest ones.

Number of WBC’s, lymphocyte number percentage and relative weights of bursa of Fabricius and spleen were increased significantly in response to PA (P < 0.05 or 0.001).

The later traits of birds received 0.150, 0.225 or 0.300 % of PA had nearly similar values and higher than those of birds received 0.075 of PA or those of control group.

Most of the present results indicated that the treatment by PA showed a valuable improvement in some blood haemato-biochemical and immunological traits of broiler chicks, especially in birds received 0.150 % of PA.