EFFECT OF HIGH-CONCENTRATIONS OF DIETARY VITAMIN-E DURING VARIOUS AGE PERIODS ON PERFORMANCE, PLASMA VITAMIN-E AND MEAT STABILITY OF BROILER CHICKS AT 7 WEEKS OF AGE

1. The effect of high concentrations of vitamin E (alpha-tocopheryl acetate) fed during various age periods on the performance and the oxidative stability (thiobarbituric acid [TBA] values) of the drumstick meat of 7-week-old broiler chicks was determined. The basal diets (for the age periods 0 to 3, 3 to 6 and 6 to 7 weeks) contained 60 g soyabean oil and 24 mg vitamin E/kg. The following five treatments were evaluated: (1) the basal diets from 0 to 7 weeks of age (control); (2) vitamin E, 100 mg/kg diet from 0 to 7 weeks of age; (3) vitamin E, 150 mg/kg diet from 0 to 3 weeks of age; (4) vitamin E, 150 mg/kg diet from 0 to 3 weeks of age and 100 mg/kg diet from 6 to 7 weeks of age; (5) vitamin E, 100 mg/kg diet from 5 to 7 weeks of age. 2. Food intake, weight gain and food efficiency were not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by the vitamin E treatments. 3. Plasma alpha-tocopherol (AT) concentrations in treatments 2, 4 and 5 were similar, and markedly higher than those in treatments 1 and 3, while those of treatment 3 were significantly (P < 0.001) higher than those of treatment 1. Plasma retinol concentrations were not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by the vitamin E treatments. 4. TBA values of the meat were very low and not significantly affected by the vitamin E treatments. However, after incubation the TBA values were highly significantly (P < 0.01) negatively correlated with the amount of vitamin E consumed during the experiment. The stability of meat of birds fed the various combinations of vitamin E (treatments 3, 4 and 5) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of birds which did not receive additional vitamin E (treatment 1), but it was significantly (P < 0.001) lower than that of birds which received vitamin E continuously (treatment 2). 5. It is concluded that a high concentration of vitamin E fed during 0 to 3 weeks of age may significantly improve At status of the broiler chick up to 7 weeks of age.