The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of zinc (Zn) sources (zinc oxide and Zn-methionine) on performance, organ weights, blood biochemical profiles, and digestive enzymes of the pancreas and small intestine in Korean native chicks (KNC). A total of 144 KNC (n=6) were fed a basal diet (CON, 100 ppm of Zn), a basal diet supplemented with 50 ppm of Zn with ZnO (ZNO), or a basal diet supplemented with 50 ppm of Zn with Zn-methionine (ZMT) for 28 days. There was no significant difference in body weight, gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio among the three groups. The relative weights of the liver, spleen, and intestinal mucosa were unaffected by the dietary source of Zn, whereas pancreas weight in the ZNO group decreased (P<0.05) compared with that in the CON and ZMT groups. Blood biochemical components including aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase were unaffected by dietary Zn supplementation. Pancreatic trypsin activity in the ZNO and ZMT groups was significantly (P<0.05) enhanced compared with that in the CON group. However, the activities of α-amylase and carboxypeptidase A were not altered by dietary Zn supplementation. The activities of maltase and sucrase were unchanged, whereas the activity of leucine aminopeptidase tended (P=0.08) to be increased by dietary Zn supplementation. In conclusion, the supplementation with 50 ppm of ZnO or Zn-methionine resulted in an activation of protein digestive enzymes in the pancreas and small intestine without affecting animal performance in KNC.

This study examined the effects of a probiotic complex (PC) containing Lactobacillus plantarum, Bacillus subtilis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae on growth performance, organ weight, immune parameters, fecal microbial count, and noxious odor in broiler chicks. A total of 216 birds (4-day-old) were fed a basal diet (CON) and a diet supplemented with 0.25% (PC1) and 0.5% (PC2) of PC until 35 days of age. No difference in body weight, feed intake, and FCR was observed among the groups. The intestinal mucosal weight of the PC1 group was greater than that of the CON group without affecting weights of the other organs. Intestinal secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) levels in the PC2 group increased significantly (P<0.05) compared with that in the CON group. The PC2 group also had a strong tendency for elevated blood sIgA levels. Dietary PC did not affect the level of interleukin-1β in the blood and mucosal tissues or alter maltase, sucrase, and leucine aminopeptidase activities in the intestinal mucosa. The PC2 group had higher colony-forming units (cfu) for L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae, but lower cfu for E. coli than those in the CON group. Compared to the CON diet, the PC2 diet resulted in a decreased H 2 S concentration and a tendency toward decreased CH 3 SH concentration. In conclusion, a 0.5% PC diet showed increased sIgA and desirable microbial population, and decreased noxious odor in the feces, suggesting that PC could be applied as an environmentally friendly feed additive in broiler chicks.

Four-week-old male Korean native chicks (KNC) were assigned to 3 groups with 6 replicates (8 birds/replicate) in each group: a basal diet (CON, 100 ppm of Zn), basal diet fortified with 50 ppm of Zn with zinc oxide (ZnO), or basal diet fortified with 50 ppm of Zn with Zn-methionine (ZnM). Immediately after a 4-week-feeding trial, 6 birds per group were used to evaluate the effects of zinc supplements on antioxidant indicators and the mRNA expression of zinc transport genes. The nitrogen components, lipid peroxidation, and total antioxidant status in blood were not influenced by Zn fortified diets. However, the ZnM group showed a significant (P<0.05) increase in uric acid levels than those in the ZnO group. In the small intestine, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities, and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were unaffected by zinc supplements. The activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) was significantly (P<0.05) enhanced by Zn-methionine supplementation. In the liver, the activity of GST was significantly (P<0.05) increased by Zn-methionine supplement without affecting SOD, GPX, and MDA levels. With respect to the mRNA expression of zinc transport genes, the ZnM group displayed a strong tendency for increases in intestinal ZnT-1 (P=0.09) and ZnT-5 (P=0.06) levels, compared to those in the CON group. Moreover, the ZnM group showed a tendency (P=0.10) for up-regulation of hepatic metallothionein mRNA as compared with the CON group. In conclusion, the Zn-fortified diet with 50 ppm of Zn-methionine helped to improve GST activity and Zn transport gene expression in the small intestine or liver of KNC.