Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of Different Levels of Organic and Inorganic Chromium on Growth Performance and Immunocompetence of Broilers under Heat Stress

Biological Trace Element Research volume 146, pages 309–317 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of different levels of organic and inorganic chromium on the performance, immune function and some serum mineral concentrations of broilers under heat stress condition (23.9–37°C cycling). A total of 150 one-day-old broiler chicks according to a completely randomized design were assigned into five treatment groups. Each treatment consisted of three replicates and each replicate contained ten chicks. Chicks were fed on corn–soybean meal basal diets with added different concentrations of chromium (0, 600 and 1,200 μg kg−1 chromium chloride or 600 and 1,200 μg/kg chromium l-methionine) from 1 to 49 days of age. Humoral immunity was assessed by intravenous injection of 7% sheep red blood cell (SRBC) followed by evaluation of serum for antibody titers in primary and secondary responses. Cell-mediated immunity was assessed by the cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity (CBH) test to phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-P at day 32 and PHA-M at day 48. Heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio was also measured as a reliable indicator of stress. The body mass, feed intake and conversion ratio were not influenced by dietary chromium (P > 0.05). Dietary supplementation of both organic and inorganic chromium significantly increased primary and secondary antibody responses (P < 0.01), and also improved H/L ratio (P < 0.05), CBH response (P < 0.01) as well as relative weights of thymus (P < 0.05) and spleen (P < 0.01). Both dietary organic and inorganic chromium caused an increase in serum concentrations of Cr and Zn (P < 0.01), but decreased the serum concentration of Cu (P < 0.01). These results suggest that supplemental chromium especially in organic form offers a good management practice to reduce heat stress-related depression in immunocompetence of broiler chicks.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  1. Abdukalykova ST, Ruiz-Feria CA (2006) Arginine and vitamin E improve the cellular and humoral immune response of broiler chickens. Int J Poult Sci 5:121–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Amatya JL, Haldar S, Ghosh TK (2004) Effects of chromium supplementation from inorganic and organic sources on nutrient utilization, mineral metabolism and meat quality in broiler chickens exposed to natural heat stress. Anim Sci 79:241–253

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Anderson RA (1987) Chromium, in trace elements in human and animal nutrition. Academic, New York

    Google Scholar 

  4. Anderson RA, Bryden NA, Polansky MM (1993) Form of chromium effects tissue chromium concentration. FASEB J 7:A204, Abstr

    Google Scholar 

  5. Anderson RA, Bryden NA, Polansky MM, Deuster PA (1988) Exercise effects on chromium excretion of trained and untrained men consuming a constant diet. J Appl Physiol 64:249–252

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Anderson RA, Kozlovsky AS (1985) Chromium intake, absorption and excretion of subjects consuming self-selected diets. Am J Clin Nutr 41:1171–1183

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bartlett JR, Smith MO (2003) Effects of different levels of zinc on the performance and immunocompetence of broilers under heat stress. Poult Sci 82:1580–1588

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bauman DE, Currie WB (1980) Partitioning of nutrients during pregnancy and lactation: a review of mechanisms involving homeostasis and homeorhesis. J Dairy Sci 63:1514–1529

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Boa-Amponsem K, Price SHE, Picard M, Geraert PA, Siegel PB (2000) Vitamin E and immune responses of broiler pureline chickens. Poult Sci 79:466–470

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Borgs P, Mallard BA (1998) Immune-endocrine interactions in agricultural species: chromium and its effect on health and performance. Domestic Anim Endocrinol 15:431–438

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Burton JL, Mallard BA, Mowat DN (1993) Effects of supplemental chromium on immune responses of periparturient and early lactation dairy cows. J Anim Sci 71:1532–1536

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Burton JL, Nonnecke BJ, Dubeski PL, Elsasser TH, Mallard BA (1996) Effects of supplemental chromium on production of cytokines by mitogen-stimulated bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells. J Dairy Sci 79:2237–2246

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Chang X, Mowat DN (1992) Supplemental chromium for stressed and growing feeder calves. J Anim Sci 70:559–565

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Farrar JJ, Mirel SBJ, Fuller-Farrar FWL, Hilfiker ML (1980) Macrophage-independent activation of helper T-cells: I. Production of interleukin 2. J Immunol 125:793–798

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Fielden EM, Rotilio G (1984) The structure and mechanism of Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase. In: Lontie R (ed) Copper proteins and copper enzymes. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 11–27

    Google Scholar 

  16. Geraert PA, Padilha JCF, Guillaumin S (1996) Metabolic and endocrine changes induced by chronic heat exposure in broiler chickens: growth performance, body composition and energy retention. Br J Nutr 75:195–204

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Gillies S, Crabtree G, Smith KA (1979) Gluocorticoid inhibition of T cell growth factor production: 1. The effect on mitogen induced lymphocyte proliferation. J Immunol 123:1624–1631

    Google Scholar 

  18. Gross WB (1992) Effect of short-term exposure of chickens to corticosterone on resistance to challenge exposure with Escherichia coli and antibody response to sheep erythrocytes. Am J Vet Res 53:291–293

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Gross WB, Siegel HS (1983) Evaluation of the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio as a measure of stress in chickens. Avian Dis 27:972–979

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Hayirli A (2005) Chromium nutrition of livestock species. Nutr Abs Rev Ser B Livestock Feeds Feed 75:1N–14N

    Google Scholar 

  21. Heller ED, Nathan DB, Perek M (1979) Short heat stress as an immunostimulant in chicks. Avian Pathol 8:195–203

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Ibrahim DK, Al-Mashhadani EH, Al-Bandr LK (2010) Effect of supplementing different levels of chromium yeast to diet on broiler chickens on some physiological traits. Pak J Nutr 9(10):942–949

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Kegley EB, Spears JW, Brown TT (1996) Immune response and disease resistance of calves fed chromium nicotinic acid complex or chromium chloride. J Dairy Sci 79:1278–1283

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kegley EB, Spears JW, Eisemann JH (1997) Performance and glucose metabolism in calves fed a chromium–nicotinic acid complex or chromium chloride. J Dairy Sci 80:1744–1750

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Kim YH, Han IK, Choi YJ, Shin IS, Chae BJ, Kang TH (1996) Effects of dietary levels of chromium picolinate on growth performance carcass quality and serum traits in broiler chicks. Asian-Aust J Anim Sci 9:341–347

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Lee DN, Wu FY, Cheng YH, Lin RSWuPC (2003) Effect of dietary chromium picolinate supplementation on growth performance and immune responses of broilers. Asian-Aust J Anim Sci 16:227–233

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Lepage KT, Bloom SE, Taylor RL Jr (1996) Antibody response to sheep red blood cells in a major histocompatibility (B) complex aneuploid line of chickens. Poult Sci 75:346–350

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Lucas AM, Jamroz C (1961) Atlas of avian hematology. Agriculture Monograph 25. US Dept. Agric, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  29. Mashaly MM, Hendricks GL, Kalama MA, Gehad AE, Abbas AO, Patterson PH (2004) Effect of heat stress on production parameters and immune responses of commercial laying hens. Poult Sci 83:889–894

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Moeini MM, Bahrami A, Ghazi S, Targhibi MR (2011) The effect of different levels of organic and inorganic chromium supplementation on production performance, carcass traits and some blood parameters of broiler chicken under heat stress condition. Biol Trace Elem Res. doi:10.1007/s12011-011-9116-8

  31. Moonsie-Shageer S, Mowat DN (1993) Effect of level of supplemental chromium on performance, serum constituents, and immune status of stressed feeder calves. J Anim Sci 71:232–238

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Morris BW, Blumsohn A, Neil SM, Gray TA (1992) The trace element chromium—a role in glucose homeostasis. Am J Clin Nutr 55:989–991

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Mujahid A, Yoshiki Y, Akiba Y, Toyomizu M (2005) Superoxide radical production in chicken skeletal muscle induced by acute heat stress. Poult Sci 84:307–314

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Nathan DB, Heller ED, Perek M (1976) The effect of short heat stress upon leucocyte count, plasma corticosterone level, plasma and leukocyte ascorbic acid content. Br Poult Sci 17:481–485

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Niu ZY, Liu FZ, Yan QL, Li WC (2009) Effects of different levels of vitamin E on growth performance and immune responses of broilers under heat stress. Poult Sci 88:2101–2107

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. NRC (1989) Recommended dietary allowances. National Academy Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  37. NRC (1994) Nutrient requirements of poultry, 9th edn. National Academy Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  38. NRC (1997) The role of chromium in animal nutrition. National Academy Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  39. Ogle CK, Valente JF, Guo X, Li BG, Ogle JD, Alexander JW (1997) Thermal injury induces the development of inflammatory macrophages from nonadherent bone marrow cells. Inflammation 21:569–582

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Picciano MF (2003) Pregnancy and lactation: Physiological adjustments, nutritional requirements and the role of dietary supplements. J Nutr 133:1997–2002

    Google Scholar 

  41. Sahin K, Kucuk O, Sahin N (2001) Effects of dietary chromium picolinate supplementation on performance and plasma concentrations of insulin and corticosterone in laying hens under low ambient temperature. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr 85:142–147

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Sahin K, Sahin N, Onderci M, Gursu F, Cikim G (2002) Optimal dietary concentration of chromium for alleviating the effect of heat stress on growth, carcass qualities and some serum metabolites of broiler chickens. Biol Trace Elem Res 89:53–64

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Sahin N, Akdemir F, Tuzcu M, Hayirli A, Smith MO, Sahin K (2010) Effects of supplemental chromium sources and levels on performance, lipid peroxidation and proinflammatory markers in heat-stressed quails. Anim Feed Sci Technol 159:143–149

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. SAS Institute (2003) SAS Users Guide. Version 9.1 reviews. SAS Institute Inc, Cary

    Google Scholar 

  45. Toghyani M, Zarkesh S, Shivazad M, Gheisari A (2007) Immune responses of broiler chicks fed chromium picolinate in heat stress condition. J Poult Sci 44:330–334

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Toghyani M, Shivazad M, Gheisari AA, Zarkesh SH (2006) Performance, carcass traits and hematological parameters of heat-stressed broiler chicks in response to dietary levels of chromium picolinate. Int J Poult Sci 5(1):65–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Trout JM, Mashaly MM (1994) The effects of adrenocorticotropic hormone and heat stress in the distribution of lymphocyte populations in immature male chickens. Poult Sci 73:1694–1698

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Uyanik F, Atasever A, Ozdamar S, Aydin F (2002) Effects of dietary chromium chloride supplementation on performance, some serum parameters and immune response in broiler. Biol Trace Elem Res 90:99–115

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Yalçın S, Özkan S, Çabuk MC, Siegel PB (2003) Criteria for evaluating husbandry practices to alleviate heat stress in broilers. J Appl Poult Res 12:382–388

    Google Scholar 

  50. Zulkifli I, Siegel PB (1995) Is there a positive side to stress? World’s Poult Sci J 51:63–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by Razi University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Animal Science Department, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

    Sh. Ghazi, M. Habibian, M. M. Moeini & A. R. Abdolmohammadi

Authors
  1. Sh. Ghazi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Habibian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. M. Moeini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. R. Abdolmohammadi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sh. Ghazi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ghazi, S., Habibian, M., Moeini, M.M. et al. Effects of Different Levels of Organic and Inorganic Chromium on Growth Performance and Immunocompetence of Broilers under Heat Stress. Biol Trace Elem Res 146, 309–317 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-9260-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-9260-1

Keywords

search

Navigation