Antioxidant Parameters, Lipid Profiles and Performance Studies of Broiler Birds Fed Graded Level Taurine-Supplemented Diets

The research was targeted towards monitoring the activities of antioxidant enzymes, levels of non-enzymic antioxidants, lipid profiles and performance activities of broiler birds fed taurine-supplemented diets. One hundred and eighty 1-day-old unsexed arbor acre strain broiler birds were randomly distributed into five dietary treatments, six replicates per treatment and six birds per replicate. Treatments 1 to 5 contained 0%, 0.002%, 0.004%, 0.006% and 0.008% taurine supplements respectively as add-over. Treatment 1 served as the control diet. The birds were grouped and brooded for a week and the experiment lasted for six weeks. The birds were sacrificed and the liver, kidneys and serum were collected. The activities of catalase and myeloperoxidase, concentrations of reduced glutathione and nitric oxide as well as the serum lipid profiles were monitored. Liver catalase activities was highest for birds placed on 0.006 and 0.008% taurine-supplemented diets as compared with those on 0% taurine-supplemented diet. The trend was similar for the kidney reduced glutathione concentration. Liver nitric oxide concentrations and kidney myeloperoxidase activities were significantly higher (p<0.05) for birds placed on 0.004%, 0.006% and 0.008% taurine-supplemented diets as compared to birds placed on the control diets. High density lipoprotein was highest for birds on a 0.008% diet and lowest for birds on the control diet. The best feed conversion ratio was obtained for birds placed on 0.008% taurine-supplemented diet. Taurine-supplemented diets at between 0.002 and 0.008% favoured birds’ antioxidant defense mechanisms, had no deleterious effect on lipid profile, and equally improved the performance characteristics of broiler birds.