Anatomie und Physiologie: Aktuelle Forschung
Offener Zugang
ISSN: 2161-0940
ISSN: 2161-0940
Joseph Ayodele Obidi1*, Joseph Olusegun Ayo1 , Peter Ibrahim Rekwot2 , Barth Izuchukwu Onyeanusi3
The aim of the study was to evaluate the ameliorative effects of lycopene and vitamin E, administered individually and in combination on laying hens during the hot-dry season. Dry- and wet-bulb temperatures were recorded daily from 06:00-18:00 h during the 5-week experimental period. Laying hens aged 41 weeks, divided into 4 groups of 100 hens each served as subjects: Group 1, lycopene+ vitamin E (30 mg/kg+250 mg/kg body weight, respectively); Group 2, lycopene (30 mg/kg body weight); Group 3, vitamin E (250 mg/kg body weight); and Group 4, controls. All administrations were performed orally by gavage daily for five weeks. Daily and weekly hen-day egg productions, egg weight, eggshell thickness and eggshell weight were determined using standard procedures. The dry-bulb temperature (23.0°C-39.0°C) and temperature-humidity index (24.4°C-35.0°C) recorded show that the hens were subjected to heat stress during the season. Egg production obtained in lycopene (62.4 ± 1.1 %), vitamin E (62.1 ± 1.2%) and lycopene+ vitamin E (62.7 ± 1.0 %) groups were higher (P<0.05) than in controls (56.0 ± 0.8%). Eggshell was thickest in lycopene+ vitamin E group (0.28 ± 0.02 mm), compared to lycopene (0.23 ± 0.02 mm) or vitamin E group (0.22 ± 0.02 mm). The thickness was lowest (P<0.05) in control hens (0.18 ± 0.02 mm) than any other group. Similarly, control laying hens recorded the least (P<0.05) eggshell weight (6.7 ± 0.02 g), compared to the weights recorded in lycopene+ vitamin E, lycopene and vitamin E groups (7.3 ± 0.24 g, 7.3 ± 0.3 g and 7.2 ± 0.3 g, respectively). In conclusion, lycopene and vitamin E, especially in combination, ameliorated the risk of adverse effects of heat stress by increasing hen-day production, eggshell weight and eggshell thickness during the hot-dry season.