Effects of dietary copper supplementation on production performance and plasma biochemical parameters in broiler chickens

Effect of short-term exposure to high-altitude hypoxic climate on feed-intake, blood glucose level and physiological responses of native and non-native goat

The exposure to high altitude and cold stress poses challenges in maintaining normal physiological standards and body homeostasis in non-native animals. To enhance our understanding of the physiology of native and non-native goats in high-altitude environments, we conducted a comparative study to examine the impact of natural hypoxic and cold stress conditions on their feed intake (FIT) and associated changes in physiological responses, including plasma glucose concentration (PGC). The study took place at an altitude of 3505.2 m above mean sea level and involved twenty-two healthy females from two different breeds of goats. This study was conducted over a period of 56 days after the arrival of non-native Black Bengal goats (BBN) and compared with native Changthangi (CHAN) goats. Both groups were extensively reared in a natural high-altitude and cold-stress environment in Leh, India, and were subjected to defined housing and management practices. The parameters evaluated included FIT, PGC, respiration rate, heart rate, pulse rate, and rectal temperature. High altitudes had a significant (p < 0.05) impact on FIT, PGC, respiration rate, heart rate, pulse rate, and rectal temperature in BBN, whereas these parameters remained stable in CHAN throughout the study period. Additionally, the detrimental effects of high-altitude stress were more pronounced in non-native goats compared to native goats. These findings suggest that physiological responses in non-native goats tend to stabilize after an initial period of adverse effects in high-altitude environments. Based on the physiological responses and glucose concentration, it is recommended to pay special attention to the nutrition of non-native goats for up to the third week (21 days) after their arrival in high-altitude areas.

Copper Super-Dosing Improves Performance of Heat-Stressed Broiler Chickens through Modulation of Expression of Proinflammatory Cytokine Genes

Continuous exposure to high ambient temperatures brings about a number of oxidative damages in chickens. Copper (Cu), an active component of a number of antioxidative defence components, should arrest these changes to take place although that may not be possible under the standard dosing regimen followed by the industry. To ascertain the optimum dose response that may be beneficial in sustaining the performance of chickens under heat stress (HS), broiler chickens (n = 400) were exposed to high ambient temperature (between 27.2°C and 35.3°C) during 1-35 d. Copper (Cu) as Cu proteinate (Cu-P) at concentrations of 37.5, 75, 112.5, and 150 mg/kg was supplemented to the diet. The negative control (NC) diet did not contain any supplemental Cu. Increasing dietary Cu improved (P < 0.001) body weight, feed intake, and conversion ratio. Serum concentrations of total cholesterol at 21 d (P = 0.009), HDL cholesterol at 35 d (P = 0.008), LDL cholesterol at 21 d (P = 0.015), and triacylglycerol at both 21 d (P = 0.033) and 35 d (P = 0.001) decreased as Cu in the diet increased. As Cu in the diet increased, hemoglobin increased (P = 0.003) at 21 d, and the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio decreased both at 21 d (P = 0.047) and 35 d (P = 0.001). Superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities increased when dietary Cu increased to 150 mg/kg (P < 0.01). Liver Cu at 35 d increased linearly with the dose of Cu in the diet (P = 0.0001). Selected bacteria were enumerated in the digesta to ascertain if Cu super-dosing affected their population in any way in the absence of any enteric challenge. Escherichia coli and total Salmonella numbers decreased (P = 0.0001), and total Lactobacillus increased (P = 0.0001) proportionately with dietary Cu. Interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α gene expression increased linearly (P = 0.0001) as Cu in the diet increased though the response plateaued at 112.5 mg/kg. It was concluded from the present experiment that during conditions of impending HS, dietary supplementation of 112.5 to 150 mg Cu/kg diet as Cu-P may be a novel strategy to alleviate the negative effects of HS without involving any apparent risk of Cu toxicity.

Dietary phytase effects on copper requirements of broilers

Information on the availability of Cu from plant feedstuffs for broilers in the presence of phytase is scarce. The present research has been conducted with the objective of evaluating the Cu requirements of broilers when fed corn-soy diets with or without phytase. A total of 640 one-day-old male Cobb x Cobb 500, allocated into 80 battery cages with 8 chicks in each, were fed a low Cu content diet (formulated with 8.58 ± 0.21 mg/kg Cu) without phytase from placement to day 7. Starting on day 8, battery cages were distributed into a 2 × 5 factorial arrangement (phytase-added diets X 5 with graded increases of supplemental Cu) until day 28. Feeding treatments (feeds added or not with phytase and 5 graded increases of Cu) were randomly distributed with 8 cages of 8 chicks. The basal non-supplemented feeds were formulated with corn and soybean meal (SBM) without any other significant Cu contributors. Supplemental Cu was from laboratory-grade Cu sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO5H20) which was increasingly added to the feeds. Phytase was added in excess to the producer recommendation (2,500 FYT) and had average analyzed values of 2,768 ± 135.2 FYT/kg whereas analyzed Cu values were: 8.05 ± 0.25, 11.25 ± 0.15, 14.20 ± 0.40, 16.55 ± 0.05, and 19.45 ± 0.45 mg/kg. Statistics were conducted using linear and quadratic polynomial regression models. No interactions occurred between dietary Cu and phytase (p > 0.05) for any response and no effects were found for the individual factors (phytase or dietary Cu) for Ht, Hb, varus, valgus, rotated tibia, and tibia breaking strength, as well as for Cu contents in breast, gastrocnemius tendon, and kidney (p > 0.05). However, the phytase-added diets led to higher BWG, lower FCR, and increased ileal digestible Cu (p < 0.05). The gradual increase in dietary Cu produced linear increases in Cu content in livers, as well as in excreta and retention (p < 0.05). Supplementing phytase at levels expected to maximize phytate degradation was demonstrated to improve BWG and FCR; however, no effects were observed when dietary Cu was increased to a maximum of 19.45 mg/kg. An increase of 8.8% in ileal digestible Cu was observed when birds were fed phytase.

Effects of dietary copper and zinc hydroxychloride supplementation on bone development, skin quality and hematological parameters of broilers chickens

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of supplementation with different levels of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), using two mineral sources (sulphate and hydroxy forms), on the bone characteristics, skin strength/elasticity, and haematological parameters of broilers. A total of 1792 1-day-old male Cobb-500 broiler chickens were randomly distributed among eight dietary treatments, using Cu sulphate (CSM) or hydroxychloride (CHC), and Zn sulphate (ZSM) or hydroxychloride (ZHC). The dietary treatments were as follows: (1) low-CSM/high-ZSM, (2) high-CSM/high-ZSM, (3) low-CHC/low-ZHC, (4) low-CHC/medium-ZHC, (5) low-CHC/high-ZHC, (6) high-CHC/low-ZHC, (7) high-CHC/medium-ZHC, and (8) high-CHC/high-ZHC. On Day 42, blood samples were collected from one bird/pen to analyze the haematological parameters. Finally, two birds/pen were slaughtered, and the tibia and femur were collected to analyze the quality of bone and skin. The means were subjected to ANOVA and, when significant, compared by Tukey's test (p < 0.05) or Dunnett's (p < 0.05) test. The haematological parameters were not influenced by mineral supplementation. However, the inclusion of low ZHC enhanced the skin strength compared to high ZHC (p = 0.046). Furthermore, the bone mineral density of the tibia proximal epiphysis, tibia ash and tibia mineral content were positively improved with supplementation of low-CHC/medium-ZHC compared to high-CHC/medium-ZHC. This study demonstrated that hydroxy compounds are potential alternatives for replacing sulphate supplements in broiler diets. Moreover, among the Cu and Zn levels, the low CHC (15 mg/kg) and medium ZHC (100 mg/kg) improved bone development and skin integrity, suggesting that the combination of Cu and Zn can be a nutritional strategy to prevent the incidence of leg disorders in broilers.

Effects of dicopper oxide and copper sulfate on growth performance and gut microbiota in broilers

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of two sources of copper (Cu) from copper sulfate (CuSO4) and dicopper oxide (Cu2O, CoRouge) at three levels of inclusion (15, 75, and 150 mg/kg) on growth performance and gut microbiota of broilers. A total of 840 one-d-old male chickens (Ross 308) were weighed and randomly allocated to seven dietary treatments: negative control (NC, a basal diet without Cu addition), and the NC supplemented with 15, 75, or 150 mg Cu/kg from CuSO4 or Cu2O (12 replicate pens/treatment, 10 chicks per pen). Broilers were challenged by reusing an old litter with high concentrations in Clostridium perfringens to promote necrotic enteritis. Broiler performance was registered at d 21, 35, and 42. Excreta samples were collected at d 14, 28, and 42 for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) analyses. At d 43, one broiler per pen was euthanized to obtain ileal content for microbial characterization. Body weight d 35 and daily gain d 42 improved (P < 0.05) in Cu2O as Cu dose inclusion increased from 15 mg/kg to 150 mg/kg. Supplementation of 150 mg/kg of Cu from Cu2O decreased the abundance (P < 0.01) of some families such as Streptococcaceae and Corynebacteriaceae and increased the abundance (P < 0.05) of some commensal bacteria like Clostridiaceae and Peptostreptococcaceae. Phenotypic AMR was not different among treatments on d 14 and 28. Isolated Enterococcus spp. from broilers fed the NC diet on d 42 showed higher (P < 0.05) resistance to enrofloxacin, gentamicin, and chloramphenicol compared with Cu treatments. By contrast, the isolated Escherichia coli from broilers fed 150 mg/kg of Cu, either from CuSO4 or Cu2O, showed higher (P < 0.05) resistance to streptomycin and chloramphenicol compared to the NC. This study suggests that supplementing 150 mg/kg of Cu from Cu2O establishes changes in the gut microbiota by regulating the bacterial population in the ileum, which may explain the positive impact on broilers' growth performance.

Mitigating the Growth, Biochemical Changes, Genotoxic and Pathological Effects of Copper Toxicity in Broiler Chickens by Supplementing Vitamins C and E

Simple Summary

Copper (Cu) is a trace element necessary for biological utility; nevertheless, it can produce significant harmful impacts when existing in abundance. This study examined the efficiency of vitamin C and vitamin E in alleviating the biochemical, genotoxicity, and pathological alterations in the liver induced by copper sulfate (CuSO₄) toxicity in chickens. The broilers were fed on five experimental diets; basal diet with no additives or basal diets supplemented with 300 mg CuSO₄/kg, CuSO₄ + 250 mg Vit. C/kg diet, CuSO₄ + 250 mg Vit. E/kg diet, CuSO₄ + 250 mg Vit. C/kg diet + 250 mg Vit. E/kg diet for six weeks. The obtained results suggested that addition of vitamin C and E, especially in combination, was beneficial for alleviating the harmful effects of CuSO₄ toxicity on growth performance and liver histoarchitecture in broiler chickens.

Abstract

This experiment was carried out to explore the efficiency of an individual or combined doses of vitamin C (Vit. C) and vitamin E (Vit. E) in alleviating biochemical, genotoxicity, and pathological changes in the liver induced by copper sulfate (CuSO₄) toxicity in broiler chickens. Two hundred and fifty-one-day-old broiler chicks were haphazardly allotted into five groups (five replicates/group, ten chicks/replicate). The birds were fed five experimental diets; (1) basal diet with no additives (CON), (2) basal diets supplemented with 300 mg CuSO₄/kg diet (CuSO₄), (3) basal diets supplemented with 300 mg CuSO₄/kg diet + 250 mg Vit. C /kg diet, (4) basal diets supplemented with 300 mg CuSO₄/kg diet +250 mg Vit. E /kg diet, (5) basal diets supplemented with 300 mg CuSO₄/kg diet + 250 mg Vit. C /kg diet + 250 mg Vit. E /kg diet for six weeks. The results displayed that CuSO₄-intoxicated birds had significantly (p < 0.05) decreased bodyweight, weight gain, and feed intake with increased feed conversion ratio from the 2nd week till the 6th week compared with the CON. However, these changes were minimized by single or combined supplementation of vitamin C and E. The FCR was insignificantly different in birds-fed diets complemented with vitamin C and E singly or in combination from the 3rd week of age compared to the CON. Serum aminotransferases (ALT, AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were elevated in CuSO₄-intoxicated birds (p < 0.05). Additionally, they showed a drop in serum total protein (TP), albumin, globulins, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels compared to the CON (p < 0.05). Concomitantly, histopathological and DNA changes were perceived in the liver of CuSO₄-intoxicated birds. Co-supplementation of Vit. C and Vit. E single-handedly or combined with CuSO₄-intoxicated chickens enhanced the performance traits and abovementioned changes, especially with those given combinations of vitamins. From the extant inquiry, it could be established that supplementation of vitamin C and E was beneficial for mitigating the harmful effects of CuSO₄ toxicity on growth performance and liver histoarchitecture in broiler chickens.

Alleviating Effects of Vitamins C and E Supplementation on Oxidative Stress, Hematobiochemical, and Histopathological Alterations Caused by Copper Toxicity in Broiler Chickens

Simple Summary

Excessive copper in diets is associated with numerous disadvantageous impacts on poultry. The current study evaluated the efficacy of vitamin C and vitamin E in mitigating oxidative stress, hematobiochemical, and histopathological changes in the kidney induced by copper sulfate (CuSO₄) toxicity in broiler chickens. The birds were assigned to five experimental groups: 1st group—basal diet with no additives (control group), 2nd group—basal diet complemented with CuSO₄ (300 mg/kg diet), 3rd group—basal diet with CuSO₄ (300 mg/kg diet) + vitamin C (250 mg/kg diet), 4th group—basal diet with CuSO₄ (300 mg/kg diet) + vitamin E (250 mg/kg diet), and 5th group—basal diet with CuSO₄ (300 mg/kg diet) + vitamin C (250 mg/kg diet) + vitamin E (250 mg/kg diet). The current study’s findings showed the possible preventive impacts of dietary antioxidants on hematobiochemical alterations, oxidative stress, and kidney damage induced by CuSO₄ toxicity.

Abstract

The current investigation evaluated the alleviating effects of vitamin C and vitamin E on oxidative stress, hematobiochemical, and histopathological changes in the kidney induced by copper sulfate (CuSO₄) toxicity in chickens. Two hundred and fifty-one-day-old male broiler chicks were randomly allotted into five experimental groups (five replicates/group, ten chicks/replicate): 1st group—basal diet with no additives (control group), 2nd group—basal diet complemented with CuSO₄ (300 mg/kg diet), 3rd group—basal diet with CuSO₄ (300 mg/kg diet) + vitamin C (250 mg/kg diet), 4th group—basal diet with CuSO₄ (300 mg/kg diet) + vitamin E (250 mg/kg diet), and 5th group—basal diet with CuSO₄ (300 mg/kg diet) + vitamin C (250 mg/kg diet) + vitamin E (250 mg/kg diet) for a 42 day feeding period. The results showed a significant reduction in red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, and hematocrit values as well as total leukocyte counts (WBCs), lymphocyte, heterophil, and monocyte counts in the CuSO₄-intoxicated birds (2.42 × 10⁶/µL, 9.54 g/dL, 26.02%, 15.80 × 10³/µL, 7.86 × 10³/µL, 5.26 × 10³/µL, and 1.18 × 10³/µL, respectively, at the 6th week) compared to (2.79 × 10⁶/µL, 10.98 g/dL, 28.46%, 21.07 × 10³/µL, 10.84 × 10³/µL, 7.12 × 10³/µL, and 1.60 × 10³/µL, respectively) in the control group. Moreover, CuSO₄-intoxicated birds showed hypoglycemia with a rise in serum uric acid and creatinine levels (122.68, 5.18, and 0.78 mg/dL at the 6th week) compared to (159.46, 4.41, and 0.61 mg/dL) in the control group. The CuSO₄ toxicity in birds induced oxidative stress, indicated by a high serum malondialdehyde level (MDA) and diminished activity of the antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) (2.01 nmol/mL, 37.66 U/mL, and 2.91 U/mL, respectively, at the 6th week) compared to (1.34 nmol/mL, 57.00 U/mL, 4.99 U/mL, respectively) in the control group. High doses of Cu exposure caused severe microscopic alterations in kidney architecture. The addition of vitamins C and E, singularly or in combination, displayed a beneficial effect in alleviating these harmful effects of Cu toxicity. These findings showed the possible mitigating impacts of dietary antioxidants on the hematobiochemical alterations, oxidative stress, and kidney damage induced by CuSO₄ toxicity.

High levels of copper and zinc supplementation in broiler diets on growth performance, carcase traits and apparent ileal mineral absorption

1. This study investigated the effects of hydroxy trace minerals (HTM) compared to sulphate trace minerals (STM) supplementation on growth performance, carcase parameters and mineral retention in broilers.2. A total of 1792 male Cobb 500 d-old were allocated in a completely randomised trial design to one of eight dietary treatments with eight replicates per treatment. The HTM sources used were two levels of Cu hydroxychloride (CHC) (low and high), combined with three levels of Zn hydroxychloride (ZHC) (low, med and high) and two additional treatments STM; Cu sulphate monohydrate (CSM) (low and high) combined with high Zn sulphate monohydrate (ZSM). At 21 and 42 d-old growth performance was evaluated. Additionally, at 42 d-old the carcase traits, meat quality, apparent ileal absorption and activity of antioxidant enzymes were accessed.3. A data showed that broilers receiving high-CHC had higher body weight, weight gain and better feed conversion ratio as compared to low-CHC at 21 d-old. On day 42, the feed conversion ratio was improved for birds supplemented with high-CHC in diets containing med-ZHC, as compared to low-CHC.4. Dietary Cu increased the redness of breast colour at the level of high-CHC compared to low-CHC. Greater results were observed on carcase traits for the med-ZHC group as compared to low- or high-ZHC. The ceruloplasmin activity in serum increased in the high-CSM diets containing high-ZSM as compared to low-CSM. The AIA of Cu was higher in broilers supplemented with high-CHC containing med-ZHC as compared to low-CHC. Otherwise, the AIA of Zn increased in broilers fed low-CHC containing low- or med-ZHC as compared to high-CHC.5. The trial showed that mineral trace supplementation of broilers diets with high-CHC (150 mg/kg) and low-ZHC (80 mg/kg) was a good alternative to replace sulphate mineral sources in diets.

Effect of in ovo copper injection on body weight, immune response, blood biochemistry and carcass traits of broiler chicks at 35 days of age

The current study was conducted to investigate effects of copper (sulfate, acetate and nano) in ovo injection at 10 days of the embryogenesis period on body weight (BW), immunity, biochemical parameters and carcass traits of broiler chicks at 35 days of age. A total number of 462 fertile eggs were used in seven groups, each group containing 66 eggs in three replicates. The experimental design was as follows: the group 1 as a control, while groups 2, 3 and 4 injected with 8 μg/egg of Cu sulfate, Cu acetate and nano Cu, respectively, and groups 5, 6 and 7 injected with 16 μg/egg of Cu sulfate, Cu acetate and nano Cu, respectively. Results stated that BW was increased in Cu-injected groups, except groups of Cu acetate, but plasma constituents, carcass and relative weight of organs did not affect. Cu level (8 μg/egg) had better results than Cu level (16 μg/egg). No differences between among groups in relative weights of spleen and bursa and immune response. In conclusion, it is recommended that in ovo injection of different sources of Cu can augment the BW and did not harmfully affect immunity, carcass traits and biochemical parameters of broiler chicks.

Nutritional significance of amino acids, vitamins and minerals as nutraceuticals in poultry production and health - a comprehensive review

Nutraceuticals have gained immense importance in poultry science recently considering the nutritional and beneficial health effects of their constituents. Besides providing nutritional requirements to birds, nutraceuticals have beneficial pharmacological effects, for example, they help in establishing normal physiological health status, prevent diseases and thereby improve production performance. Nutraceuticals include amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc. which are important for preventing oxidative stress, regulating the immune response and maintaining normal physiological, biochemical and homeostatic mechanisms. Nutraceuticals help in supplying nutrients in balanced amounts for supporting the optimal growth performance in modern poultry flocks, and as a dietary supplement can reduce the use of antibiotics. The application of antibiotic growth enhancers in poultry leads to the propagation of antibiotic-resistant microbes and drug residues; therefore, they have been restricted in many countries. Thus, there is a demand for natural feed additives that lead to the same growth enhancement without affecting the health. Nutraceuticals substances have an essential role in the development of the animals' normal physiological functions and in protecting them against infectious diseases. In this review, the uses of amino acids, vitamins and minerals as well as their mode of action in growth promotion and elevation of immune system are discussed.

Identification of Phytotoxic Levels of Copper and Nickel in Commercial Organic Soil Amendments Recycled from Poultry Farms and Municipal Wastes

Commercial-scale recycling of agricultural and municipal wastes into organic soil amendments facilitates safe disposal of waste and reduces environmental contamination. However, phytotoxicity of commercial organic amendments to crops is a major concern to farmers. Consistent with this, commercial chicken manure and Milorganite (recycled from municipal waste) were found to be phytotoxic. Chicken manure aqueous extract contains 10.8 ppm Cu and 0.7 ppm Ni. The level of Cu and Ni in Milorganite is lower. The current study identified an aqueous solution containing 5 ppm Cu, lower than in chicken manure aqueous extract, was highly phytotoxic to mustard seeds germination. Therefore, phytotoxicity of chicken manure is in part due to Cu. An aqueous solution containing 1 ppm Ni was not phytotoxic; whereas 0.125 ppm Ni was phytotoxic when 62.5 ppm Na, which is nontoxic, was added to the solution. Therefore, synergistic effects of chemicals in the organic amendments may induce phytotoxicity.

Meta-analysis of the correlation between dietary copper supply and broiler performance

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a meta-analysis assessing the correlation between dietary copper supply and broiler performance.

METHODS

Studies that were published prior to January 2019 and reported the dietary copper supply and broiler growth performance were identified using search functions in the Web of Science, Springer, Elsevier, Science Direct, and Taylor & Francis Online databases; the Journal of Dairy Research; and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). We performed stratified analyses on the possible sources of bias, including differences in the study locations and years of publication. The publication bias was assessed with Egger's test method.

RESULTS

A total of 12 randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies were eligible for inclusion. The pooled WMDs of the ADG, ADFI and FCR were -0.166 (95% CI: -1.587 to 1.254), -0.844 (95% CI: -1.536 to -0.152) and -0.029 (95% CI: -0.057 to 0.000), respectively. In the Israeli and Indian studies, the ADG and ADFI data in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group; however, in America, a relatively high FCR value was found in the experimental group compared to that in the control group. The analysis of the study period showed that for the 1980s and 2010s, the ADG and ADFI of the experimental group were lower than those of the control group, while, in the 1990s and 2010s, the FCR of the experimental group were lower than those of the control group. The observed values were adjusted for study effects, and a model was used to obtain the copper supplementation under the optimal production performance. The results showed that the adjusted average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed to gain ratio (FCR) presented a quadratic relationship with Cu supplementation (P<0.05). The maximum value of ADG (31.84 g/d) is reached when Cu is added at amount of 158 mg/kg, and the minimum value of FCR (1.53) is reached when Cu is added at amount of 217 mg/kg. No significant publication bias existed in the studies (Egger's test: P value were 0.81, 0.71 and 0.14).

CONCLUSION

From this study, it can be concluded that the traditional copper addition is no longer suitable for modern broiler breeding; the higher copper content may be beneficial for the production performance of broilers.

The Effect of Administration of Copper Nanoparticles in Drinking Water on Redox Reactions in the Liver and Breast Muscle of Broiler Chickens

The aim of the study was to determine what dosage of copper nanoparticles added in the form of a hydrocolloid to standard dietary supplementation with copper sulphate will increase the antioxidant potential in the liver and breast muscle of chickens. In total, 126 one-day-old Ross 308 chickens were assigned to 7 experimental groups of 18 birds each (3 replications of 6 individuals each). The basal-diet treatment did not receive nano-Cu. Experimental groups received nano-Cu (0.5, 1.0 or 1.5 mg/kg body weight per day) via a tube into the crop over three 3-day periods (days 8–10, 22–24 and 36–38) or three 7-day periods (days 8–14, 22–28 and 36–42). Dietary supplementation of chickens with nano-Cu to exceed the Cu level recommended by the NRC increased the content of Cu (P=0.042) while reducing that of Zn in the liver (P=0.031) and breast muscle (P=0.036). Supplementing the diet of chickens with nano-Cu to a level exceeding the level of copper recommended by the NRC by 7% to 25% increased the antioxidant potential of the liver and the breast meat. The study has shown that the antioxidant status of the liver and breast meat of chickens can be improved by supplementing the standard dietary copper sulphate supplement with the addition of nano-Cu, but to a level not exceeding 25% of the copper content recommended by NRC (1994) for broiler chickens, but the most safe is the nano-Cu level not exceeding 7% of the copper content recommended by NRC (1994).

Effect of different levels of copper nanoparticles and copper sulphate on performance, metabolism and blood biochemical profiles in broiler chicken

A study was conducted to investigate the influence of copper administration in ovo to chicken embryos and/or supplied in drinking water to growing chickens in the form copper nanoparticles (Cu-NP) or copper sulphate (CuSO₄ ). The fertilised eggs were assigned to three groups (n = 50 per group): control (not injected), injected with 50 mg/kg Cu-NP or with 50 mg/kg CuSO₄ at day 1 of incubation. Thereafter, 126 one-day-old broiler chickens were randomly assigned to seven post-hatched groups: control not injected and not provided with Cu in the drinking water, injected with 50 mg/kg Cu-NP + 20 mg/kg in water, not injected + 20 mg/kg Cu-NP in water, injected with 50 mg/kg CuSO₄  + 20 mg/kg in water, not injected + 20 mg/kg CuSO₄ in water, injected with 50 mg/kg Cu-NP and injected with 50 mg/kg CuSO₄ . The experiment was carried out from day 1 to 35 post-hatching. The in ovo injection of Cu improved the final body weight, average daily gain and feed conversion ratio in relation to the control group. Conversely, the provision of Cu in the drinking water had less of an effect on growth performance in comparison with the injected groups. A significant improvement was shown in energy and nitrogen utilisation, being better for Cu-NP than CuSO₄ . The cholesterol, urea and glucose levels in the blood were reduced by Cu-NP treatment in relation to the other groups. The relative weight of the liver was decreased, while bursa of Fabricius was increased in Cu groups in relation to the control group. Cu excretion was only reduced in chickens injected with 50 mg/kg Cu-NP + 20 mg/kg in water. The immune-related genes were not affected by the treatments. The in ovo injection of Cu-NP might improve broiler performance more efficiently than the injection of CuSO₄ or the provision of Cu-NP and/or CuSO₄ in drinking water.

Selenium, copper and iron in veterinary medicine-From clinical implications to scientific models

Diseases related to copper, selenium or iron overload or deficiency are common and well-described in large animal veterinary medicine. Some of them certainly have the potential to serve as useful animal models for ongoing research in the field of trace elements. Obvious advantages of large animal models compared to laboratory animal models like rats and mice are the option of long-term, consecutive examinations of progressive deficient or toxic stages and the opportunity to collect various, high volume samples for repeated measurements. Nevertheless, close cooperation between scientific disciplines is necessary as scientists using high sophisticated analytical methods and equipment are not regularly in touch with scientists working with large animal diseases. This review will give an introduction into some typical animal diseases related to trace elements and will present approaches where the animal diseases were used already as a model for interdisciplinary research.

Effects of dietary supplementation with vitamin C and vitamin E and their combination on growth performance, some biochemical parameters, and oxidative stress induced by copper toxicity in broilers

This study investigated effects of dietary supplementation with vitamin C, vitamin E on performance, biochemical parameters, and oxidative stress induced by copper toxicity in broilers. A total of 240, 1-day-old, broilers were assigned to eight groups with three replicates of 10 chicks each. The groups were fed on the following diets: control (basal diet), vitamin C (250 mg/kg diet), vitamin E (250 mg/kg diet), vitamin C + vitamin E (250 mg/kg + 250 mg/kg diet), and copper (300 mg/kg diet) alone or in combination with the corresponding vitamins. At the 6th week, the body weights of broilers were decreased in copper, copper + vitamin E, and copper + vitamin C + vitamin E groups compared to control. The feed conversion ratio was poor in copper group. Plasma aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase activities, iron, copper concentrations, and erythrocyte malondialdehyde were increased; plasma vitamin A and C concentrations and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase were decreased in copper group compared to control. Glutathione peroxidase, vitamin C, and iron levels were increased; aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and copper levels were decreased in copper + vitamin C group, while superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and vitamin E concentrations were increased; aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase were decreased in copper with vitamin E group compared to copper group. The vitamin C concentrations were increased; copper, uric acid, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and malondialdehyde were decreased in copper + vitamin C + vitamin E group compared to copper group. To conclude, copper caused oxidative stress in broilers. The combination of vitamin C and vitamin E addition might alleviate the harmful effects of copper as demonstrated by decreased lipid peroxidation and hepatic enzymes.