Improved Antioxidant Capacity and Immune Function of Broiler Chickens Fed with Selenium-enriched Candida utilis

Wang, DWang, DPu, LWei, G

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of selenium-enriched Candida utilis with high contents of organic selenium (Se) and glutathione (GSH) on growth performance, antioxidant capacity and immune function of broiler chickens. A total of 100 healthy 7-day-old male broiler chickens were randomly divided into 5 groups, and fed diets supplemented with (a) Na2SeO3, (b) C. utilis, (c) Se-enriched Saccharomyces cerevisiae, (d) Se-enriched C. utilis, and (e) the control without any supplements. The experiment lasted for 6 weeks and parameters were recorded on day 42. No significant differences in average daily gain were found among the 5 groups. However, Se-enriched C. utilis supplemented in the diet increased activities of glutathione peroxidase in the whole blood (p 0.01), catalase in the serum (p 0.01) and breast meat (p 0.01), and superoxide dismutase in the breast meat (p 0.01), as well as decreased contents of malondialdehyde in the serum (p 0.01), liver (p 0.01) and breast meat (p 0.05). Also, Se-enriched C. utilis improved titers of IgG (p 0.01), IgM (p 0.01), and IgA (p 0.01) in the serum, as compared to the control. All these results indicated that Se-enriched C. utilis was a good candidate of dietary supplement to improve the antioxidant capacity and immune function of broiler chickens.(AU)

1. immune function
2. Antioxidant capacity
3. broiler chickens
4. selenium-enriched Candida utilis
5. glutathione