Performance, serum characteristics, carcase traits and lipid metabolism ofbroilers as affected by supplement of chromium picolinate

1. This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with chro mium picolinate on the performance, serum and carcase traits and lipid meta bolism of broilers. In trial 1, 120 1-day-old broilers with an equal number of males and females were assigned at random to 4 groups with 3 replicates . Four treatments with dietary supplements of 0 (control), 800, 1600 and 32 00 mu g/kg of chromium picolinate were used. In trial 2, 6-week-old broiler s (20) were used to determine how supplements of 0, 200, 400 and 800 mu g/k g chromium in an incubation medium influence their hepatocyte lipogenic cap acity and adipocyte lipolysis, in vitro. 2. Dietary supplements of 1600 and 3200 mu g/kg chromium in broiler diets s ignificantly increased food consumption (P<0.05); 1600 mu g/kg markedly imp roved weight gain (P<0.05); 1600 and 3200 mu g/kg groups showed increased l iver lipid content (P<0.05): However, the abdominal fat content tended to d ecrease in these 2 groups. 3. Dietary supplements of 1600 and 3200 mu g/kg of chromium decreased serum glucose and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) concentrations while increasi ng serum phospholipid content (P<0.05). Insulin concentration decreased onl y in birds receiving 3200 ppb chromium (P<0.05). Serum triacylglycerol (TG) clearance rate in chromium-supplemented groups was markedly enhanced (P<0. 05). 4. In addition, chromium supplemented groups had increased serum HDL conten ts and also reduced serum VLDL and LDL contents (P<0.05). 5. Trial 2 indicated that lipogenesis from [U-C-14]glucose by isolated hepa tocytes was significantly enhanced by 400 ppb chromium (P<0.05). 6. The results from this study demonstrate that a supplement of 1600 mu g/k g of chromium picolinate in the ration influences the growth, carcase, seru m traits and lipid metabolism of broilers.