Impact of Vitamins C and E Dietary Supplementation on Leukocyte Profile of Layer Hens Exposed to High Ambient Temperature and Humidity

Abstract

A 30-day experiment involving 720 White Leghorn layer hens was carried out to evaluate the effects of vitamins C and E on leukocyte and heterophil/lymphocytes ratios of the layer hens during the natural summer conditions. The birds were divided into 4 groups, one control with basal diet and three experimental with diet supplemented with vitamin C, vitamin E, or combination of both vitamins. Each group was divided into 4 subgroups. Exposure of layer hens to 31 ± 3 °C and 33 ± 0 °C ambient temperature and 84.6% and 81.5% relative humidity during the experiment caused an increase in the value of temperature humidity index of 15.5 above the threshold value of 70 established for this species. Total white blood cells, lymphocytes, and eosinophil levels were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in all treated groups compared to control. Similarly, heterophil/lymphocyte ratios of 0.51, 0.52, and 0.50 for groups with diet supplemented with vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamins C + E, respectively, were significantly (p < 0.001) lower compared to 0.59 recorded in the control group. However, heterophil, basophil and monocyte values were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in the control group compared to all treated groups. The results of the present study showed that dietary supplementation of vitamins C and E, or their combination, reduces the harmful effect of high ambient temperature and humidity on the leukocyte indicators of exposed layer hens, thereby alleviating the stress imposed on their thermoregulatory mechanism and physiological status. Heat stress, antioxidant vitamins, white blood cells, laying birdsAll over the world, farmers have to solve a problem of heat stress in poultry during the summer period. Global warming as a result of increased industrialization and environmental degradation has led to continuous increase in ambient temperature, thereby making heat stress a major problem of livestock farming, particularly in the poultry sector (Daghir 2009). This is because poultry are particularly sensitive to high ambient temperature (AT), more than to cold. Heat stress interferes with the birds' comfort and suppresses production efficiency. In birds, high ambient temperature leads to increased endogenous heat production, since convective transfer of heat is the major thermoregulatory mechanism of birds and depends on air movement by natural or fan-powered ventilation (Shane 2005). As a response, birds have to make major thermo-regulatory adaptations to prevent death from heat exhaustion. As a result, the genetic potential of layer hens is often compromised (Holik 2009). The responses of poultry to high ambient temperatures have been studied several times, but the effect of relative humidity (RH) on intensifying or modifying these responses has received little attention. Relative humidity is rarely included as an experimental variable or measured for information purposes. Such information is important because in poultry-producing regions high temperature can often be accompanied by a range of RH, which can marked...

Synergistic Ameliorative Effects of Organic Chromium and Selenium Against Heat Stress in Japanese Quails: Performance, Immunological, Hematological, Biochemical And Antioxidant Studies

“…Our results are in line with that of Ajakaiye et al (2010) who detected a significant reduction in total leukocyte count (TLC), lymphocyte and eosinophil numbers. However, there is a slight increase in heterophil released by bone marrow, thus increasing their number in circulation, but their bactericidal and phagocytic activity decreased.…”

“…Rudich et al (1998) reported that insulin signaling is impaired under conditions of oxidative stress. Similarly, Ajakaiye et al (2010) and (Kondo et al, 2012) pointed out the increasing level of serum glucose may be derived from an increase in free radicals and the release of ACTH and cortisol hormones that prevent insulin release by β cells and stimulate gluconeogenesis due to heat stress .Supplementation organic Cr in quail diets decreased glucose level in blood in agreement with (Sahin et al, 2002b;El-Hommosany, 2008) who stated that chromium is essential for normal glucose metabolism and it is a component of glucose tolerance factor, which works with insulin to move glucose into cells and increased glucose utilization, thus resulting in an improvement of live weight gain, feed efficiency, and carcass qualities.…”

Effect of Herbal Anti stressor Products on the Growth Parameters and Carcass Traits of Broilers under Heat Stress

“…High temperatures, especially when coupled with high humidity, impose severe stress on broiler birds and lead to reduced performance (Ajakaiye et al, 2011). In the past few decades, a number of Ayurvedic herbal immunomodulators and antistressors have been extensively used in poultry to alleviate the negative effects of high environmental temperature.…”

Heat stress amelioration and production performance in layers supplemented with herbal liquid anti-stressor product

“…Therefore, it remains a prime issue to re-evaluate the poultry management in hot weather, so that heat stress is minimized. There are various strategies to minimize heat stress in layer hens either by changing their environmental condition or by modification of their diets (Ajakaiye et al, 2010). Nutritional strategy being more viable during heat period is based on diet balancing in order to cover the needs of stressed birds for amino acids (protein), energy and electrolytes (Balnave, 2004;Daghir, 2009).…”

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