Effect of Dietary Sorbitol on Growth Performance and Plasma Acute Phase Protein Concentration in Male Broiler Chickens during Immunological Stimulation

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to determine effect of dietary sorbitol on growth performance, plasma α1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) and ceruloplasmin concentrations in male broiler chicks during immunological stimulation due to injections with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Sephadex-G50 superfine. In experiment 1, 10 days old chicks were fed a 6% glucose, xylitol, sorbitol or fructose for 8 days. In experiment 2, 7 days old chicks were fed either diet containing 10% glucose or sorbitol supplemented diet for 12 days. During final 6 days of the experimental periods, all chicks in experiment 1 and a half of birds fed each diet in experiment 2 were injected intraperitoneally with Escherichia coli LPS (0.5 mg/kg BW) on days 1, 3 and 5 and Sephadex (250 mg/kg BW) on days 2 and 4. Chicks fed the sorbitol diets tended to be better in growth performance than birds fed the glucose or fructose diet in experiment 1. In experiment 2, feeding the sorbitol diet prevented the reductions in body weight gain due to LPS and Sephadex injections. Plasma AGP concentration on day 2 after the immune stimulation in chicks fed the sorbitol diet was lower than that in chicks fed the glucose diet, but that on day 6 did not differ. Plasma ceruloplasmin concentration on days 2 and 6 after the immune stimulation in chicks fed the sorbitol diet was significantly lower than that in chicks fed the glucose diet. These results indicate that dietary sorbitol reduces early inflammatory responses and tended to prevent the reduction of growth due to repeated injections of LPS and Sephadex. In addition, mode of action of sorbitol in preventing growth retardation during immunological stimulation appeared to be different from that of xylitol, which was previously reported in chicks.

Keywords

• dietary sorbitol
• immunological stimulation
• inflammatory responses
• performance
• chicks