Effects Of Alfalfa Polysaccharide On Growth Performance,Meat Quality,Serum Biochemical And Hormone Parameters In Male And Female Broilers

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of alfalfa polysaccharide on growth performance,slaughter performance,meat quality,antioxidant ability,serum biochemical and hormone parameters in male and female broilers.Four hundred and sixty-eight 1-day-old Arbor Acres(AA)broilers were randomly allocated into 3 groups with 12 replicates(male and female broilers are all six replicates)in each group and 13 broilers per replicate.Group 1 was the control group,and broilers in this group were fed a basal diet,while broilers in groups 2 and 3 were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.1%and 0.2%AP,respectively.The experiment lasted for 42 days.The results showed as follows:1)Compared with the control group,diet supplemented with 0.1%and 0.2%AP had no significant differences in average body weight,average daily feed intake,average daily gain,feed/gain of male and female broilers(P>0.05);2)Compared with the control group,diet supplemented with 0.1%and 0.2%AP had no significant differences in dressed percentage,leg muscle percentage and abdominal fate rate of male and female broilers(P>0.05),but significantly increased eviscerated percentage and breast muscle percentage of female broilers(P<0.05);diet supplemented with 0.2%AP also significantly increased breast muscle percentage of male broilers(P<0.05);3)Compared with the control group,the pH45 min of breast of male broilers in 0.1%AP group was significantly increased(P<0.05);the drip loss rate breast and leg of male and female broilers,cook loss rate of breast of male broilers,and shear values of leg of female broilers were significantly decreased(P<0.05);the drip loss rate of breast of male and female broilers,cook loss rate of breast of male broilers and the drip loss rate and shear values of leg of female broilers in 0.2%AP group(group 3)were significantly decreased(P<0.05).4)Compared with the control group,the serum total antioxidant(T-AOC)of male broiler at 21 days of age in 0.1%and 0.2%AP groups was significantly increased(P<0.05),the serum T-AOC of female broilers at 35 and 42 days of age in 0.2%AP group was significantly increased(P<0.05),the serum glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)activity of male and female broilers at 28 days of age in 0.2%AP group was significantly increased(P<0.05),and the serum total superoxide dismutase(T-SOD)activity of female broilers at 21 and 35 days of age in 0.1%and 0.2%AP groups was significantly increased(P<0.05),but diet supplemented with 0.1%and 0.2%AP did not significantly affect serum malondialdehyde(MDA)content of male and female broilers(P>0.05);moreover,diet supplemented with 0.1%and 0.2%AP did not significantly affect T-AOC,GSH-Px activity,T-SOD activity and MDA content in liver and breast muscle of male and female broilers(P>0.05).5)Compared with the control group,diet supplemented with AP significantly decreased serum alkaline(ALP)activity of male broilers of 28 and 35 days of age(P<0.05);diet supplemented with AP significantly decreased serum total protein(TP)and globulin(GLB)content of female broilers of 14 days of age(P<0.05),decreased serum albumin/globulin(A/G)of female broilers of 28 and 42 day's of age(P<0.05),increased serum TP and GLB content of female broilers of 42 days of age(P<0.05),increased serum A/G of female broilers of 14 days of age(P<0.05);diet supplemented with AP significantly decreased serum cholesterol(CHOL)content of male broilers of 21 days of age(P<0.05);diet supplemented with AP significantly decreased serum chlorine(Cl)content of male broilers of 35 days of age and serum kalium(K)content of female broilers of 35 days of age(P<0.05),but had no significant differences on serum aspartate aminotransferase(AST)activity,alanine transaminase(ALT)activity,lactic dehydrogenase(LDH)activity,creatine phosphokinase(CK)activity,albumin(ALB),UREA,glucose(GLU),triglyceride(TG),calcium(Ca),phosphorus(P)and sodium(Na)content of male and female broilers(P>0.05).6)Compared with the control group,diet supplemented with AP significantly increased serum growth hormone(GH)and triiodothyronine(T3)content of male broilers of 42 days of age(P<0.05),decreased serum tetraiodothyronine(T4)content of female broilers of 28 and 35 days of age(P<0.05);diet supplemented with AP significantly increased serum insulin(INS)content of female broilers of 14 days of age(P<0.05),decreased serum INS content of male broilers of 42 days of age(P<0.05);diet supplemented with AP significantly decreased serum adrenocorticotropic(ACTH)content of male and female broilers of 42 days of age(P<0.05),decreased serum cortisol(Cor)content of male broilers of 14 days of age and female broilers of 21 and 42 days of age(P<0.05),but increased serum Cor content of female broilers of 35 days of age and male broilers of 42 days of age(P<0.05);diet supplemented with AP significantly decreased serum aldosterone(ALD)content of female broilers of 28 days of age and male broilers of 42 days of age(P<0.05),increased serum ALD content of female broilers of 21 days of age(P<0.05).In conclusion,diet supplemented with AP do not significantly affect growth performance,however,it can improve carcass performance,meat quality,serum antioxidant ability and body resistance of male and female broilers.It is recommended that the optimal supplemental level of AP is 0.1%.