Effect of dietary coenzyme Q10 supplementation on serum and bone minerals and leg weakness mortality in broilers

• Main Authors: M. Gopi, M. R. Purushothaman, D. Chandrasekaran
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Veterinary World 2014-05-01
• Series: Veterinary World
• Subjects: bone minerals; broilers; CoQ10; temperature humidity index; tibial bone ash
• Online Access: http://www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.7/May-2014/15.pdf
• ISSN: 0972-8988; 2231-0916

Aim: This work was carried out to study the effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on serum calcium and phosphorus levels, tibial bone weight, bone ash, bone calcium and phosphorus levels and mortality of birds due to leg weakness when the broilers were maintained under high environmental temperature. Materials and Methods: The trial was carried out on 216 Cobb400 broiler chicks and divided into four groups with nine replicates and each replicate consisting of six birds. The treatments include normal energy diet (NE) (as per breeder's specifications) (G1), high energy (HE) (NE plus 100 kcal/kg) diet without CoQ10 supplementation (G2), high energy diet supplemented with CoQ10 at 20 mg/kg (G3) and high energy diet supplemented with CoQ10 at 40 mg/kg (G4). The experiment was carried out when the temperature humidity index (THI) ranged from 33.05 to 38.65oC for a period of 42 days. Results: The serum calcium and phosphorus levels in the G1, G2, G3 and G4 were 9.07 ± 0.22, 8.48 ± 0.10, 8.30 ± 0.10, 8.32 ± 0.12 and 4.90 ± 0.20, 4.06 ± 0.32, 3.96 ± 0.17, 4.02 ± 0.24, respectively. The tibial bone weight (g) was 21.58 ± 1.32, 17.92 ± 1.90, 18.67 ± 1.30 and 17.42 ± 1.18; tibial bone Ash (%) 46.67 ± 2.71, 44.48 ± 2.40, 44.66 ± 3.09 and 44.62 ± 1.74; Bone calcium (%) 33.57 ± 0.2, 31.27 ± 0.55, 31.50 ± 0.45 and 31.47 ± 0.83, bone phosphorus (%) was 11.86 ± 0.16, 10.38 ± 0.11, 10.68 ± 0.08 and 10.39 ± 0.17, respectively in G1, G2, G3 and G4 groups. The serum calcium and phosphorus levels were significantly higher (P<0.05) in G1 over the other three groups. The tibial bone weight was not altered by the energy level or the coenzyme Q10 supplementation. The tibial bone calcium and phosphorus levels were significantly higher in G1 than the other three groups. Conclusion: The supplementation of coenzyme Q10 did not alter the serum and tibial bone calcium and phosphorus levels. The leg abnormality associated mortality was significantly decreased in G3 group when compared to the other two high energy groups.