The effect of dietary vitamin E and selenium on overall performance and immune response of broilers fed either basal or oxytetracycline treated diet

Includes references.

The impact of dietary vitamin E-selenium on overall performance and immune response of broiler chickens fed either basal or oxytetracy¬cline diet was studied. Four groups of day old broiler chicks, 35 of each, were used. Group I fed on basal diet treated with oxytetracycline at a ra¬tio of 0.2 g/kg, while birds of group 2 received basal diet supplied with vitamin E and selenium at a level of 300 mg/kg and 0.25 ppm respective¬ly. The birds of group 3 fed on basal diet provid¬ed with a combination of both oxytetracycline (0.2 g/kg) and vitamin E-selenium (300 mg and 0.25 ppm). Group 4 fed on basal diet and kept as untreated negative control. All groups were vac-cinated against Newcastle disease using live vac-cines. The experimental period extended for 35 days. Body weight development and feed conver-sion rate were recorded weekly. Individual blood samples were collected weekly to be subjected to Newcastle antibody ELISA titration. Oxytetracy¬cline had a growth promoting effect in treated birds as compared with the untreated control group. Dietary vitamin E-selenium had a superior effect on body weight development as compared with either oxytetracycline treated or untreated control groups. Oxytetracycline had an immunosuppressive effect as detected by Newcastle dis¬ease ELISA antibody titres. Dietary vitamin E¬selenium could compensate neutralizing the im-munosuppressive effect of oxytetracycline that could be applied in broiler production practice.

Summary in Arabic.

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