Effects of Zinc Glycinate on Productive and Reproductive Performance, Zinc Concentration and Antioxidant Status in Broiler Breeders

Ling Zhang; Yong-Xia Wang; Xue Xiao; Jiang-Shui Wang; Qian Wang; Kai-Xuan Li; Tian-Yu Guo; Xiu-An Zhan

doi:10.1007/s12011-016-0928-4

Effects of Zinc Glycinate on Productive and Reproductive Performance, Zinc Concentration and Antioxidant Status in Broiler Breeders

Biol Trace Elem Res. 2017 Aug;178(2):320-326. doi: 10.1007/s12011-016-0928-4. Epub 2017 Jan 27.

Authors

Ling Zhang¹, Yong-Xia Wang², Xue Xiao¹, Jiang-Shui Wang¹, Qian Wang¹, Kai-Xuan Li¹, Tian-Yu Guo¹, Xiu-An Zhan³

Affiliations

¹ Feed Science Institute, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, No. 866, Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
² College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhejiang A & F University, Linan, 311300, People's Republic of China.
³ Feed Science Institute, College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, No. 866, Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China. xazan@zju.edu.cn.

PMID: 28130743
DOI: 10.1007/s12011-016-0928-4

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of zinc glycinate (Zn-Gly) supplementation as an alternative for zinc sulphate (ZnSO₄) on productive and reproductive performance, zinc (Zn) concentration and antioxidant status in broiler breeders. Six hundred 39-week-old Lingnan Yellow broiler breeders were randomly assigned to 6 groups consisting of 4 replicates with 25 birds each. Breeders were fed a basal diet (control group, 24 mg Zn/kg diet), basal diet supplemented with 80 mg Zn/kg diet from ZnSO₄ or basal diet supplemented with 20, 40, 60 and 80 mg Zn/kg diet from Zn-Gly. The experiment lasted for 8 weeks after a 4-week pre-test with the basal diet, respectively. Results showed that Zn supplementation, regardless of sources, improved (P < 0.05) the feed conversion ratio (kilogram of feed/kilogram of egg) and decreased broken egg rate, and elevated (P < 0.05) the qualified chick rate. Compared with the ZnSO₄ group, the 80 mg Zn/kg Zn-Gly group significantly increased (P < 0.05) average egg weight, fertility, hatchability and qualified chick rate, whereas it decreased (P < 0.05) broken egg rate. The Zn concentrations in liver and muscle were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in 80 mg Zn/kg Zn-Gly group than that in ZnSO₄ group. Compared with ZnSO₄ group, 80 mg Zn/kg Zn-Gly group significantly elevated (P < 0.05) the mRNA abundances of metallothionein (MT) and copper-zinc superoxide (Cu-Zn SOD), as well as the Cu-Zn SOD activity and MT concentration in liver. Moreover, the 80 mg Zn/kg Zn-Gly group had higher (P < 0.05) serum T-SOD and Cu-Zn SOD activities than that in the ZnSO₄ group. This study indicated that supplementation of Zn in basal diet improved productive and reproductive performance, Zn concentration and antioxidant status in broiler breeders, and the 80 mg Zn/kg from Zn-Gly was the optimum choice for broiler breeders compared with other levels of Zn from Zn-Gly and 80 mg/kg Zn from ZnSO₄.

Keywords: Antioxidant status; Broiler breeder; Productive and reproductive performance; Zinc glycinate; Zn retention.

MeSH terms

Animals
Antioxidants / metabolism*
Chickens / metabolism*
Female
Glycine / analogs & derivatives*
Glycine / pharmacokinetics
Glycine / pharmacology
Liver / metabolism*
Male
Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism*
Reproduction / drug effects*

Substances

Antioxidants
zinc glycinate
Glycine