Impacts of dietary supplementation with nano-iron and methionine on growth, blood chemistry, liver biomarkers, and tissue histology of heat-stressed broiler chickens

Abstract

A 28-day study was done to explore the impact of nano-iron alone or combined with methionine on growth, blood chemistry, liver biomarkers, and tissue histology of heat-stressed chicken. One-day-old Ross 308 chicks were randomly allocated to three groups. Each group was divided into three replicates (13 chicks/replicate). The first group was the control one that was fed a basal diet without supplementation (T0). The second group was fed a basal diet with nano-iron 4 mg kg−1 diet (T1). The third group was fed a basal diet with nano-iron 4 mg kg−1 diet plus methionine 4 g kg−1 diet (T2). The results showed that the birds in the control group had significantly (p < 0.05) higher final weights. Also, a partial relief of heat stress adverse effects was observed on growth by T1 compared to T2. The T2 showed a significantly increased (p < 0.05) free iron (Fe) level and transferrin saturation index. Likewise, T2 significantly (p < 0.05) reduced total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) and transferrin level in comparison with T0 and T1. Also, hepatic impairment and inflammatory response were observed in the T2 group when compared to T0 and T1, besides a bad lipid profile. Further, T2 showed raised levels of Fe and ferritin in their hepatic tissues compared to those T1 and T0. A significant increment of thiobarbituric acid reactive and decrement of reduced glutathione levels in the hepatic tissues of T2 and T1 versus T0 levels were recorded. It is concluded that nano-iron at the level of 4 mg kg−1 in this study is highly absorbed, leading to harmful effects. Further investigations are needed to detect the proper supplemental level.

Dietary contribution of iron from limestone and dicalcium phosphate for broiler chickens

“…In the present study, there were no differences for Ht and Hb at 28 d. Feijó et al (2023) observed that broilers fed diets supplemented with Fe sulfate had increased Ht and Hb, until d 21, stabilizing afterwards to 28 d. Absorbed Fe is minimally lost in healthy birds, and, therefore, Fe accumulated to day 21 may have reached the maximum capacity to produce red blood cells. Several reports found no difference for Ht and Hb between diets with different Fe contents exceeding 50 mg/kg Fe, which, therefore, seems to be an indication of an adequate dietary level for poultry ( Liao et al, 2017 ; Lin et al, 2020 ; Abdel-Rahman et al, 2022 ).…”

“…In the present research, 223.7 mg/kg of dietary Fe led to 158 ng/mL ferritin, which was linearly translated into an increase in ferritin of 7.0 ng/mL for every 100 mg/kg Fe originated from limestone and dicalcium phosphate ( Figure 3 ). Some authors have highlighted that increases in values ​​tend to signal adequate sensitivity of ferritin to Fe in broiler diets ( Bai et al, 2021 ; Abdel-Rahman et al, 2022 , Hu et al, 2022 ). A reference minimal value for ferritin that has been stablished as a reference for adequate dietetic Fe in humans is at or above 30 ng/mL ( Guyatt et al, 1992 ; Munoz et al, 2009 ), whereas excess ferritin denotes excessive absorption, as usual in hemochromatosis ( Fleming and Sly, 2002 ).…”

Nanoparticles in Feed: a Potential Approach for Mitigating Heat Stress on Broilers

“…In spite of these benefits, trace minerals are still beneficial in small amounts due to their bioavailability and antagonistic effects [41]. Moreover, mineral imbalances can cause acid-base disorders affecting many metabolic functions, thereby the well-being of broilers [42].…”

“…Nonetheless, their size may play a role in their toxicity by facilitating cellular uptake and translocation of the particles in the animal's body [61]. In broiler diets, nano-iron (12.22 nm) at a concentration of 4 mg kg -1 , however, is highly absorbed, which can lead to detrimental effects [62]. However, the potential of nanotechnology in the poultry industry is not yet fully explored due to insufficient knowledge and research in this field.…”

Influence of Nano-Methionine supplementation in drinking water on growth performance, lipid metabolism, and related gene expression in broiler chicken

“…DL-Methionine is the most commonly supplemented synthetic Meth product [ 9 ]. Other studies on broiler chicken used nano-iron plus methionine [ 10 ] or methionine-coated zinc nanoparticles [ 11 ]. When compared to organic zinc, supplementation with methionine-coated nano-zinc oxide improved broiler weight gain and feed intake (FI) significantly.…”