THE INFLUENCE OF DIETARY ETHOXYQUIN ON THE VITAMIN-E STATUS IN BROILERS

In a feeding experiment with 48 male broiler chickens was the effect o f dietary ethoxyquin and dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate on vitamin E stat us of chickens investigated. The experimental diets were offered the c hickens from the first day of age until the end of the experiment at 4 2 days. Chickens were fed on diets containing 0, 75, or 150 mg ethoxyq uin/kg feed, with (30 mg/kg feed) or without added dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate. The concentration of alpha-tocopherol in plasma of chickens on dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate supplemented diets were significantly h igher than those of chickens fed on the nonsupplemented diets. Supplem entation with alpha-tocopherol acetate reduced the haemolysis in vitro . Ethoxyquin seemed to have an increasing effect on the concentration of cu-tocopherol in plasma, but not in the liver. Addition of ethoxyqu in to diets without dl-tocopherol acetate reduced the concentration of gamma-tocopherol in plasma. Significant interactions between the addi tion of ethoxyquin and the addition of dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate to the feed were observed on the haemolysis in vitro and the activity of glutathione peroxidase in plasma. The results indicate that incorporat ion of ethoxyquin in the diets of chickens exert an improving effect o n the vitamin E status of the organism.