Effects of Supplementation with Vitamin D on Growth Performance, Lipid Metabolism and Cecal Microbiota in Broiler Chickens

Overview

Journal Front Vet Sci

Specialty Veterinary Medicine

Date 2025 Feb 21

PMID 39981311

Authors

Jiawei Li

Ximei Li

Jiamin Tian

Linna Xu

Yan Chen

Susu Jiang

Guohua Zhang

Jianxiong Lu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Lower intramuscular fat (IMF) and excessive abdominal fat reduce carcass quality in broilers. The study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary VD on growth performance, lipid metabolism and cecal microbiota in broilers over an 84-d feeding experiment. One-day-old male broilers (210) were randomly assigned to control (basal diet) and VD group (basal diet supplemented with 3,750 IU/kg VD). Samples were collected after a 12-h fasted feeding on days 28, 56, and 84. Supplementary VD significantly enhanced average daily gain (ADG) in broilers aged 57-84 d and 1-84 d, and increased leg muscle rate and fat content in breast and leg muscles and reduced abdominal fat rate of broilers at 84 d. VD increased TG and glycogen content in the liver of 28- and 84-d-old broilers, serum TG and VLDL-C content at 56 and 84 d, and TC, HDL-C and LDL-C at 84 d. VD increased mRNA expressions of genes related to lipogenesis (DNL) (, , and ), lipid oxidation (, , and ) and lipid transport ( and ), and FAS, ACC and CPT1 enzyme activities in the liver. However, mRNA levels of genes involved in DNL and cellular lipid uptake ( and ) and LPL activity were decreased in abdominal adipose tissue, and that of genes involved in lipid oxidation and lipolysis ( and ) was increased by VD. and expression in breast and leg muscles was increased by VD. Moreover, VD increased the abundance of cecum at 28 and 84 d, and at 56 and 84 d, and at 84 d. These bacteria were correlated with increased DNL, lipid oxidation and lipid transport in liver, and cellular lipid uptake in muscle, as well as decreased DNL and cellular lipid uptake, and increased lipid oxidation and lipolysis in abdominal adipose tissue. Altogether, supplementary VD in basal diet improved growth performance, increased IMF, and reduced abdominal fat rate, which is significant for enhancing feed utilization and improving the carcass quality of broilers. The regulation of VD on lipid metabolism could was associated with variation in cecal microbiota composition.

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