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Determination of Time Progression and Sensitive Biomarkers of Maternal Zinc Depletion in Broiler Chickens and Pekin Ducks Fed a Zinc-Deficient Diet

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Abstract

Two experiments were performed to assess maternal zinc (Zn) depletion in broiler chickens and Pekin ducks fed a Zn-deficient diet. The time of Zn depletion was assessed based on growth performance, and sensitive biomarkers were determined based on tissue Zn content via a linear regression model. A total of 200 1-day-old male broiler chickens (experiment 1) and 200 1-day-old male Pekin ducks (experiment 2) were randomly allocated to 2 diets with 10 replicate cages (10 birds/cage). The two diets were a zinc-deficient diet (ZnD, 20.42 mg Zn/kg) and a control zinc diet (CON, 84.77 mg Zn/kg). In experiment 1, compared to CON, ZnD decreased (P < 0.05) the body weight (days 7, 14, and 21), body weight gain, feed intake (days 1–7, 1–14, and 1–21), and the Zn content of plasma (days 7 and 21), pancreas (days 7, 14, and 21), and tibia in broiler chickens. The R2 of a linear model was greater at day 7 than at day 14 or day 21 for pancreatic Zn content in broiler chickens. In experiment 2, compared to CON, ZnD also decreased (P < 0.05) the body weight (days 7, 14, and 21), body weight gain (days 1–7, 1–14, and 1–21), and feed intake (days 1–14 and 1–21) and increased (P < 0.05) the feed-to-gain ratio (days 1–7 and 1–14) in ducks. Compared with CON, ZnD reduced (P < 0.05) the Zn content of the pancreas (days 7, 14, and 21), tibia (days 7, 14, and 21), and skin (days 14 and 21) and increased (P < 0.05) the Zn content of the plasma (day 21) and skin (day 7) in ducks. The R2 of a linear model was greater at day 7 than at days 14 or 21 for skin Zn content in ducks. The results indicated that the maternal Zn was depleted by 7 days of age in both birds; the sensitive biomarker for broiler chickens is pancreatic Zn content, and for ducks, it is skin Zn content.

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Funding

The present study was supported by China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA (project no. CAR-42–10), the Novus Research Project (project no. NP01OQT021001SCA), and Sichuan Agricultural University 211 Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, No 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang, Chengdu, 611130, Sichuan, China

    Guanhua Chen, Keying Zhang, Gang Tian, Shiping Bai, Xuemei Ding, Jianping Wang, Li Lv & Qiufeng Zeng

  2. Novus International Trading (Shanghai), Co., Ltd., Shanghai, 200080, China

    Quan Tan & Wei Zhao

Authors
  1. Guanhua Chen
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  2. Keying Zhang
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  3. Gang Tian
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  4. Shiping Bai
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  5. Xuemei Ding
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  6. Jianping Wang
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  7. Li Lv
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  8. Quan Tan
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  9. Wei Zhao
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  10. Qiufeng Zeng
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Contributions

Qiufeng Zeng was responsible for the conceptualization and manuscript revision. Guanhua Chen was responsible for the experimental conduct, data analysis investigation, and manuscript writing. Keying Zhang, Gang Tian, Shiping Bai, Xuemei Ding, Jinping Wang, and Li Lv were responsible for the supervision. Quan Tan and Wei Zhao were responsible for the validation. All the authors have read and approved the final version of this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Qiufeng Zeng.

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Chen, G., Zhang, K., Tian, G. et al. Determination of Time Progression and Sensitive Biomarkers of Maternal Zinc Depletion in Broiler Chickens and Pekin Ducks Fed a Zinc-Deficient Diet. Biol Trace Elem Res 201, 3438–3445 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-022-03419-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-022-03419-9

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