Reproduction of muscular dystrophy in broiler chickens through early nutrition with deficient feed supplemented with oxidised fat

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was the experimental reproduction of muscular dystrophy in broiler chickens through early nutrition with a diet deficient in vitamin E, selenium and sulfur-containing amino acids, supplemented with oxidised fat in order to throw light on the etiopathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis, course, treatment and prognosis of the disorder. The experiments were conducted with 1 dayold Cobb 500 broiler chickens. By the 3 rd day of life, they were divided into 60 experimental and 20 control birds; the latter were fed a standard compound feed whereas the former group received a diet deficient in sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine (reduced up to 50%), vitamin E, and Se (from 0.2 mg/kg in standard feed to 0.01 mg/kg), further supplemented with 4% oxidized fat containing peroxides and aldehydes with peroxide number of the food 8.0 meq O 2 /kg. Peroxide number (meq O 2 /kg) was determined in pork lard oxidised through UV irradiation as per BSS 11374:1986. The clinical signs of experimental muscle dystrophy in broiler chickens appeared first by the 19 th day of feeding, when the severe clinical form was established and by the 21 st and 25 th day in the severe and the mild clinical form. The proportion of diseased chickens during the clinical period was the highest (93.3% mild and 46.6% severe clinical form), and gradually decreased after the treatment with Seled ® . The 7-day treatment with Seled ® at a dose of 0.06 mg/kg per os for compensation of Se deficiency and replacement of the deficient compound feed with a regular one contributed to recovery of birds by the 31 st day after the therapy of mild experimental muscular dystrophy while birds affected by the severe clinical form could not recovery.

Nutritional muscular dystrophy in broiler thigh muscles: pathological analysis of a problem in the field

“…La miopatía nutricional se produce como resultado de la deficiencia de vitamina E acompañada de aminoácidos que contienen azufre (metionina y cisteína) y, a menudo, coincide con una diátesis exudativa (13,14). La distrofia muscular nutricional como producto de la deficiencia de vitamina E y selenio en los pollos provoca cambios similares a los causados por la enfermedad del músculo blanco en los corderos (15,16). La vitamina E desempeña varias funciones importantes en la nutrición avícola.…”