The experiment was designed to evaluate the effects of calcium and vitamin D on immune and antioxidant functions in growing broilers. A 2×2 completely random design was used in the experiment. One hundred and forty-four 4-weeks-old AA growing broilers with the close body weight were divided into 4 treatments with 6 replicates in each treatment and 8 broilers in each replicate. The broilers were fed the diets with 0.90%, 1.15% calcium and 750, 5 000 IU/kg vitamin D, respectively. The results showed as follows: 1) vitamin D had significant effects on thymus and spleen indices (P<0.05), and with the increase of vitamin D levels, the immunity was enhanced; compared with 0.90% calcium, 1.15% calcium decreased the bursa of Fabricius index (P<0.05) and the concentration of serum immunoglobulin (P>0.05); there was interaction between vitamin D and calcium on spleen index and IL-2 (P<0.05); higher spleen index and IL-2 concentration were obtained from the 5 000 IU/kg vitamin D+0.90% calcium group; 2) with the increase of vitamin D levels, the T-AOC and the activities of T-SOD and GSH-Px in serum and liver were increased, and the content of MDA was decreased; but with the increase of calcium levels, the antioxidant capacity of broilers was weakened, and calcium had significant effects on the T-AOC and the activities of T-SOD and GSH-Px in liver (P<0.05); the interaction of vitamin D and calcium had significant effects on the activities of T-SOD and GSH-Px and the content of MDA in serum and liver (P<0.05); 5 000 IU/kg vitamin D+0.90% calcium group had more obvious superiority in antioxidant capacity than other groups. In conclusion, the 5 000 IU/kg vitamin D+0.90% calcium group had the certain superiority in enhancing the immunity and antioxidant capacity. Therefore, in practice, adding the basal level of calcium and more vitamin D than the basal requirement at the same time had important effects on enhancing immune and antioxidant functions in growing broilers.[Chinese Journal of Animal Nutrition, 2010,22(3):579-585]
ZHANG Shuyun,WANG An*
. Effects of Calcium and Vitamin D on Immune and Antioxidant Functions in Growing Broilers[J]. Chinese Journal of Animal Nutrition, 2010
, 22(03)
: 579
-585
.
DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-267x.2010.03.010