Impact of dietary supplementation of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol acetate) on genetic expression of inflammatory cytokines and growth efficiency of broiler chickens

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Genetics and Genetic engineering, Animal Wealth Development Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Egypt

2 Genetics and Genetic engineering, Animal Wealth Development Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria

Abstract

This research was undertaken in order to determine the impact of nutritional vitamin E on genetic expression of Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) as pro-inflammatory and Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and Interleukin-10 (IL-10) as anti-inflammatory cytokines in spleen and liver, heamagglutination inhibition antibody titers (HI titers) against Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV), total protein, albumin, globulin and growth efficiency of broiler chickens. Seventy two one-day-old Cobb broiler chicks had been allocated randomly into two groups. Each group has 3 replicates, each with 12 chicks. The first group was given basal diet. The second group was fed the basal diet with vitamin E (100 mg/kg diet). The obtained results revealed that dietary supplementation of vitamin E significantly (p < 0.05) increased growth efficiency, total protein, albumin, globulin and the antibody titers to NDV compared to the control group. Dietary supplementation of vitamin E significantly (P<0.05) decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory (IL-1β, IFN-γ) and anti-inflammatory (IL-4 and IL-10) cytokines in spleen and liver. In Conclusions: vitamin E supplementation (100 mg/kg diet) can enhance growth efficiency, serum total protein, albumin, globulin and humoral immunity, down-regulate pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines gene expression in broiler chickens.

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