Effect of the Acute Phase Response on the Performance and Superoxide Dismutase Activity in Broiler Chicks Fed on Dietary Krill Meal

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of the acute phase response on the performance and superoxide dismutase(SOD) activities in liver and erythrocyte of broiler chicks fed dietary krill meals A and B in experiment 1 and krill meal A in experiment 2. The experimental diets are basal diet based on yellow corn and soybean meal and diets substituted 2.0% of krill meal A or B with soybean meal of the basal diet, respectively. Day-old birds fed on the experimental diets and the acute phase response(immunological stress) was activated in the birds on 8-day of age by alternate day injection i.p. with 3 doses the Salmonella typhymurium lipopolysaccharide(LPS) in saline. The values during the acute phase response were compared with those controls injected with saline. The performance; daily gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency were different between dietary krill meal A and B in birds during the acute phase response and in the control. The acute phase response increased relative liver and spleen weights. Recovery of birds from the immunological stress was different between krill meals. Dietary krill meals increased activities of MnSOD and Cu/ZnSOD in erythrocyte cytosols during the actute phase response. Dietary krill meals did not affect the PHA-p response. The results indicated that the dietary krill meals may accentuate oxidative stress during the acute phase response.