417/19 | General Article | Animal Nutrition

Impact of In-Ovo Feeding of Nano Forms of Zinc, Copper and Selenium in Fertile Broiler Eggs on Post Hatch Immune Status

Department of Animal Nutrition, Madras veterinary College, TANUVAS, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Nano form of zinc at 20, 40, 60 and 80 μg/egg, nano form of copper at 4, 8, 12 and 16 μg/egg and nano form of selenium at 0.075, 0.15, 0.225 and 0.3 μg/egg were in-ovo fed (17th day incubation, amniotic route) in fertile broiler eggs. The control group eggs were fed in-ovo with normal saline alone. On hatch, chicks were reared for four weeks to determine development of spleen, bursa and thymus and evaluate cell mediated immunity and humoral immunity in the birds. Improvement in the development of thymus was observed at all graded levels of nano forms of zinc and copper and for nano form of selenium it was observed at 0.225 μg/egg. Spleen development was significantly highest (P<0.05) at 0.3 μg/egg inclusion of nano form of selenium. Cell mediated immunity showed no significant response to phyto-hemagglutinin (PHA-P) for all nano forms of zinc, copper and selenium at all graded levels. Humoral immunity was significantly highest (P<0.05) for nano forms of zinc, copper and selenium at 40, 8 and 0.225 μg/egg inclusion levels respectively.

Main Article