SEARCHCOHORTpoultry science, animal nutrition

cohort·poultry science, animal nutrition, veterinary physiology, oxidative stress biology·PMC10093630

Slow and Fast-Growing Chickens Use Different Antioxidant Pathways to Maintain Their Redox Balance during Postnatal Growth

Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI · 7 authors, 1 centre

AI SUMMARY

FIDELITY 100%

POPULATIONMale chicks from fast-growing (Ross 308, FG) and slow-growing (JA 657, SG) strains, reared from hatching to 42 days

INTERVENTIONComparison of two genetic strains with different growth rates under identical rearing conditions; ad libitum feeding with three feeding periods (starter, grower, finisher)

COMPARISONFast-growing (FG) vs. slow-growing (SG) chickens at weekly intervals from day 1 to day 42

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TL;DR

This study tracked metabolic and antioxidant markers weekly from hatching to 42 days in fast-growing (Ross 308) and slow-growing (JA 657) chickens. Both strains experienced high oxidative stress immediately after hatching, with antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase, GPx, GR, peroxidase) and vitamin E levels declining sharply in the first 1–2 weeks. Slow-growing chickens relied more on SOD activity for antioxidant defense, while fast-growing chickens appeared to depend more on uric acid, particularly in later growth stages.

Full summary

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**Background:** Poultry face various stressors that can disrupt redox balance. Modern fast-growing broiler strains are more susceptible to oxidative stress than slow-growing, more robust strains used in free-range production. While antioxidant system development during embryogenesis is well-described, post-hatch evolution remains unclear. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive weekly profile of metabolic and redox markers in two chicken strains differing in growth rate.

**Methods:** Fast-growing (FG) Ross 308 and slow-growing (SG) JA 657 male chicks (120 per strain) were reared under identical conditions with three feeding periods (starter D1–14, grower D15–28, finisher D29–42). Diets contained 20 ppm vitamin E. At D1, D7, D14, D21, D28, D35, and D42, 10 birds per strain were sacrificed after 8 h fasting. Blood, pectoralis major muscle, thigh muscle, and liver were collected. Plasma was analyzed for glucose, uric acid, triglycerides, free fatty acids (FFA), β-hydroxybutyrate (β-OH), total antioxidant status (TAS), hydroperoxides (HPO), α- and γ-tocopherol, and activities of SOD, GPx, GR, and peroxidase. Tissues were analyzed for TAS, TBARS (lipid peroxidation), and activities of SOD, GPx, GR, and catalase. Statistical analysis used two-way ANOVA (age, strain, interaction) with significance at p ≤ 0.05.

**Key Results:** Body weight increased from 51.6 g (D1) to 3134 g (D42) in FG and from 33.9 g to 1090 g in SG (p < 0.001). Plasma triglycerides dropped sharply from D1 to D7 (FG: 1061→266 mg/L; SG: 462→135 mg/L; p < 0.001). FFA increased from 217 to 877 μmol/L (D1→D21) in FG and from 96 to 643 μmol/L (D1→D7) in SG. β-OH peaked at D14 (FG: 737 μmol/L; SG: 821 μmol/L). Plasma hydroperoxides fell from 11.67 (FG) or 16.48 (SG) μmol/mL at D1 to ~2.2–2.6 μmol/mL at D14 (p < 0.001). α-tocopherol decreased from 53.99 (FG) or 34.15 (SG) ng/μL at D1 to ~6–7 ng/μL at D14 (p < 0.001). Plasma peroxidase activity declined from 3.68 (FG) or 4.69 (SG) mU/mL at D1 to ~2.2–2.6 mU/mL at D14 (p < 0.001). Plasma GR decreased from ~0.042–0.043 U/L at D1 to ~0.025–0.028 U/L at D7 (p < 0.001). In breast muscle, catalase dropped ~10-fold from ~9.5 U/μg proteins at D1 to ~0.9–1.3 U/μg proteins at D7 (p < 0.001). Liver TBARS increased from D1 to D7 (FG: 1.17→2.77; SG: 1.88→3.08 mg MDA/kg; p < 0.001) then declined. Strain differences: SG chicks had higher plasma uric acid at D1 (87.44 vs. 29.41 mg/L) but lower at D14–D28; FG uric acid peaked at D21 (91.78 mg/L). SOD activity was lower in FG plasma from D1–D21, in liver D1–D14, in thigh D7–D42, and in breast D14–D42 compared to SG (p < 0.05). FG had higher GR activity in breast muscle at D1 and D21–D42 (p < 0.05) and in plasma at D35–D42 (p < 0.05). Plasma TAS in SG decreased from 1.48 mmol/L (D1) to 0.88 mmol/L (D21), while FG TAS fluctuated (1.04→1.31→0.93→1.25 mmol/L).

**Clinical Implications:** The study confirms that the first week post-hatch is a period of intense oxidative stress, with rapid depletion of vitamin E and several antioxidant enzymes. The divergent antioxidant strategies between strains—SOD-dependent in SG chickens versus uric acid-dependent in FG chickens—suggest that nutritional or management interventions to support redox balance may need to be strain-specific. For slow-growing chickens, supporting SOD activity (e.g., through adequate manganese, zinc, and copper supplementation) may be beneficial, while for fast-growing chickens, managing protein metabolism and uric acid levels could be more relevant. The detailed temporal profiles provided can guide targeted antioxidant supplementation strategies at specific developmental stages to improve poultry health and robustness.

PICO

PPOPULATION

Male chicks from fast-growing (Ross 308, FG) and slow-growing (JA 657, SG) strains, reared from hatching to 42 days

IINTERVENTION

Comparison of two genetic strains with different growth rates under identical rearing conditions; ad libitum feeding with three feeding periods (starter, grower, finisher)

OOUTCOME

Plasma metabolites (glucose, uric acid, triglycerides, FFA, β-hydroxybutyrate), redox status markers (TAS, TBARS, hydroperoxides, α- and γ-tocopherol), and antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, GPx, GR, catalase, peroxidase) in plasma, liver, breast muscle, and thigh muscle

STUDY TYPE

cohort

SPECIALTY

poultry science

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AI pipeline

FIDELITY CHECK

100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10093630

Slow and Fast-Growing Chickens Use Different Antioxidant Pathways to Maintain Their Redox Balance during Postnatal Growth

Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI

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ABSTRACT

Simple Summary The objective of this study was to measure the evolution with age of the antioxidant defense ability of two strains of chicken with fast or slow growth rates. Several parameters related to metabolic status, redox balance, and antioxidant defense activity were measured from hatching to 42 days of age, in liver, muscle (breast and thigh), and in plasma. Our results confirm the high level of oxidative stress just after hatching in chicks and, consequently, a high need for antioxidant defense during this period. Several enzymes or molecules, whose levels fall during the first week or two after hatching, would help to ensure this need. The antioxidant pathways used to maintain redox balance change with age and may differ between slow- and fast-growing chickens. SOD activity appears to be a key player in the antioxidant response of slow-growing chickens, while uric acid is thought to play a more important role in fast-growing chickens, particularly at the end of rearing. Abstract The evolution of parameters known to be relevant indicators of energy status, oxidative stress, and antioxidant defense in chickens was followed. These parameters were measured weekly from 1 to 42 days in plasma and/or muscles and liver of two strains differing in growth rate. At 1-day old, in plasma, slow-growing (SG) chicks were characterized by a high total antioxidant status (TAS), probably related to higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and uric acid levels compared to fast-growing (FG) chicks whereas the lipid peroxidation levels were higher in the liver and muscles of SG day-old chicks. Irrespective of the genotype, the plasma glutathione reductase (GR) and peroxidase (GPx) activities and levels of hydroperoxides and α- and γ-tocopherols decreased rapidly post-hatch. In the muscles, lipid peroxidation also decreased rapidly after hatching as well as catalase, GR, and GPx activities, while the SOD activity increased. In the liver, the TAS was relatively stable the first week after hatching while the value of thio-barbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and GR activity increased and GPx and catalase activities decreased. Our study revealed the strain specificities regarding the antioxidant systems used to maintain their redox balance over the life course. Nevertheless, the age had a much higher impact than strain on the antioxidant ability of the chickens.

CITATION EXPORT

Edouard Coudert, Elisabeth Baéza, Pascal Chartrin et al.. Slow and Fast-Growing Chickens Use Different Antioxidant Pathways to Maintain Their Redox Balance during Postnatal Growth. Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI. (2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13071160

AUTHORS

7 · 1 CENTRES

Edouard Coudert, Elisabeth Baéza, Pascal Chartrin, Justine Jimenez, Estelle Cailleau-Audouin, Thierry Bordeau, Cécile Berri

Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, Université de Tours, UMR BOA, F-37380 Nouzilly, France

EDITOR / REVIEWER

Klaus Eder