Effects of Thermally Oxidized Vegetable Oil on Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics, Gut Morphology, Nutrients Utilization, Serum Cholesterol and Meat Fatty Acid Profile in Broilers

Abstract

The impacts of dietary levels of oxidized vegetable (sunflower) oil on growth performance, gut morphology, nutrients utilization, serum cholesterol and meat fatty acid profile were evaluated in Ross 308 straight-run (n = 192) day-old broilers. The broilers were arbitrarily distributed among four dietary treatments including; FVO: fresh vegetable oil (1 mEq kg−1), LOO: low oxidized (20 mEq kg−1), MOO: moderately oxidized (40 mEq kg−1), and HOO: highly oxidized vegetable oil (60 mEq kg−1) with 5% inclusion containing six replicates. Results revealed that the broilers consuming MOO and HOO based diets showed reduced (p = 0.05) feed intake, body weight gain and carcass weight accompanied by a poorer feed conversion ratio than those consuming FVO. Villus height, villus height to crypt depth ratio, ileal digestibility of crude protein (p = 0.041), crude fat (p = 0.032) and poly unsaturated fatty acids (p = 0.001) in thigh muscles were decreased, whereas crypt depth (p = 0.001), serum cholesterol levels (p = 0.023) and short chain fatty acids (p = 0.001) were increased (p < 0.001) by increasing dietary oxidation level. In conclusion, MOO and HOO exerted deleterious effects on growth, carcass weight, gut development and nutrients utilization. Low oxidized vegetable oil (20 mEq kg−1), however, with minimum negative effects can be used as a cost effective energy source in poultry diets.