Regulation of Inorganic Zinc Supplementation on Intestinal Absorption, Metabolism, and Muscle Development in Broilers Fed Low-Protein Diets

Ruihong Sun, Changhai Zhou, Yougang Jia, Yumei Li, Yuntong He, Haoyu Che, Yonghong Zhang, Jing Zhang and Dongqiao Peng ()
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Ruihong Sun: Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Feed and Feeding in Northeastern Frigid Area, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
Changhai Zhou: Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Feed and Feeding in Northeastern Frigid Area, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
Yougang Jia: Quality Control for Feed and Products of Livestock and Poultry Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, New Hope Liuhe Co., Ltd., Chengdu 610023, China
Yumei Li: Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Feed and Feeding in Northeastern Frigid Area, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
Yuntong He: Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Feed and Feeding in Northeastern Frigid Area, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
Haoyu Che: Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Feed and Feeding in Northeastern Frigid Area, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
Yonghong Zhang: Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Feed and Feeding in Northeastern Frigid Area, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
Jing Zhang: Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Feed and Feeding in Northeastern Frigid Area, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
Dongqiao Peng: Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Feed and Feeding in Northeastern Frigid Area, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 12, 1-20

Abstract: The issue of nitrogen fertilizer contamination resulting from high-protein diets can be effectively solved by adopting low-protein diets. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of inorganic zinc supplementation in low-protein diets on 42-day-old broilers across a multitude of parameters. To determine the optimal dose of inorganic zinc in broiler diets with a 1.5% reduction in crude protein, 1-day-old Arbor Acres broilers ( n = 270) were randomly assigned to five groups, each containing 54 broilers. Our results revealed that inorganic zinc supplementation at levels of 130 mg/kg elevated growth performance and carcass traits ( p < 0.05). It also significantly increased the ratio of intestinal villi heights to crypt depths ( p < 0.001), changed intestinal morphology, and significantly increased albumin content in serum ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, analysis of mRNA expression showed that 130 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg of inorganic zinc improved the myogenic differentiation involved in muscle development, as well as intestinal tight junction and liver metallothionein capacity ( p < 0.001). Additionally, these groups exhibited lower zinc excretion compared with other treatments ( p < 0.001). In summary, our findings suggest that inorganic zinc supplementation in low-protein diets holds the potential to support muscle and intestinal development in broilers, presenting a viable nutritional strategy.

Keywords: broilers; inorganic zinc; low-protein diets; muscle development; zinc absorption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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