Dietary supplementation with glycosaminoglycans reduces locomotor problems in broiler chickens

• Main Authors: Julyana M.S. Martins, Lindolfo D. dos Santos Neto, Raiana A. Noleto-Mendonça, Genilson B. de Carvalho, Sarah Sgavioli, Fabyola Barros de Carvalho, Nadja S.M. Leandro, Marcos B. Café
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020-12-01
• Series: Poultry Science
• Subjects: chondroitin; femoral degeneration; gait score; glucosamine; tibial dyschondroplasia
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579120307136

This study aimed to assess the influence of glycosaminoglycan (chondroitin and glucosamine sulfates) supplementation in the diet on the performance and incidence of locomotor problems in broiler chickens. A completely randomized design was carried out in a 3 × 3 factorial scheme (3 levels of chondroitin sulfate −0, 0.05, and 0.10%; and 3 levels of glucosamine sulfate −0, 0.15, and 0.30%). Each treatment was composed of 6 replications of 30 broilers each. The performance of broilers (average weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, and productive viability) was assessed at 7, 21, 35, and 42 d of age, whereas the gait score, valgus and varus deviations, femoral degeneration, and tibial dyschondroplasia were assessed at 21 and 42 d of age. Increasing levels of glucosamine sulfate inclusion linearly increased the weight gain from 1 to 35 and from 1 to 42 d of age of broilers (P = 0.047 and P = 0.039, respectively), frequency of broilers with no femoral degeneration in the right and left femurs, and the proliferating cartilage area of proximal epiphysis at 42 d of age (P = 0.014, P < 0.0001, and P = 0.028, respectively). The increasing inclusion of chondroitin and glucosamine sulfates led to an increase in the frequency of broilers on the gait score scale 0 (P = 0.007 and P = 0.0001, respectively) and frequency of broilers with no valgus and varus deviations (P = 0.014 and P = 0.0002, respectively) also at 42 d of age. Thus, chondroitin and glucosamine sulfates can be used in the diet of broiler chickens to reduce their locomotor problems.