Supplementation of alpha lipoic acid on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, mineral availability and lipid peroxidation level in broiler chicken fed with animal fat

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of alpha lipoic acid supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, mineral availability and lipid peroxidation level in broilers fed diet with animal fat. The trial was conducted using eighty day-old VenCobb commercial broiler chicks which were randomly assigned into two dietary treatment groups with four replicates of ten chicks each. The birds in both the control (T1) and treatment group (T2) were fed with diet containing 5% animal fat, while T2 was supplemented with 100 mg of Alpha lipoic acid. The birds were fed with standard broiler starter ration up to 4 weeks of age and finisher ration up to 6 weeks of age as per BIS (1992) specifications. Alpha lipoic acid supplementation did not have any effect on body weight (g), Feed consumption (g) and feed conversion ratio (%), availability of nutrients and minerals, however, decreased the serum MDA concentration, which is one of the most common indicators of lipid peroxidation. In conclusion, the present study revealed that supplementation of alpha lipoic acid has no effect on growth performance, nutrient and mineral utilisation, but reduces the lipid peroxidation level, thereby improves the quality of meat.