Influence of dietary lanthanum oxide (La O ) on the blood characteristics and 2 3 ovarian morphometry of broiler chickens

Abstract

The use of antibiotics as feed additives in animal production has been a source of health concern. A practical approach is the supplementation of animal feeds with rare earth element. Thus, this study was carried out with 225 day – old broiler chicks (CHI strain) to evaluate the influence of dietary Lanthanum oxide (La O ) on the blood characteristics and 2 3 ovarian morphometry. The feeding trial lasted eight weeks before the parameters were determined. The dietary treatments were designated as T , T , T , T and T . The T served as 1 2 3 4 5 1 the negative control without La O while T was the positive control with antibiotic. La O was 2 3 2 2 3 supplemented to T , T , T , and T at 100, 200 and 300 ppm, respectively. The birds were 3 4 3 5 divided into five groups of 45 each and randomly assigned to the five experimental diets using a completely randomized design (CRD). Each treatment was further divided into three replicates of fifteen (15) birds each and reared in a brooding unit and later on a deep litter house. Feed and water were provided ad-libitum. Results showed that the haematologicalparameters were not significantly (P>0.05) influenced by dietary treatments, except the differential leucocytes (eosinophils, lymphocytes and neutrophils); while in terms of the serum- biochemical indices, only cholesterol and bi-carbonate contents were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by dietary treatments. The ovarian weight was significantly (P<0.05)influenced by dietary treatments. The results of this study suggest that dietary La O up to 300 2 3 ppm will not adversely affect the blood (haematological and serum biochemical) characteristics and ovarian morphometry of broiler chickens.

Review of Rare Earth Elements as Fertilizers and Feed Additives: A Knowledge Gap Analysis

“…Similarly, Agbede et al ( 2011 ) found that La 2 O 3 (100–300 mg/kg) increased total weight gain and altered heart, spleen, and liver weights. Furthermore, REE supplementation led to changes in hematological and nutritional parameters, including total red blood cell count, hemoglobin and differential leukocytes, cholesterol, and bicarbonate (Agbede et al 2011 ; Ozung et al 2019 ). Two studies (Igbasan and Adebayo 2012 ; Cai et al 2015 ) failed to find increased gain in chick body weight by administering La or Ce or REE mixtures as feed additives at concentrations ranging from 100 to 1500 mg/kg.…”