Vitamins are essential organic compounds that birds cannot synthesize themselves, thus requiring their inclusion in the diet. They play a vital role in facilitating crucial biochemical processes by acting as catalysts for chemical reactions.
There are also provitamins, substances from which the body can synthesize vitamins. For example, carotenoids (provitamin A) and sterols (provitamin D).
Based on their solubility, vitamins are classified as:
Fat-soluble vitamins: These are vitamins that dissolve in fat, which is a critical feature enabling organic storage. This category encompasses vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Water-soluble vitamins: These include the B-complex vitamins and vitamin C, which are soluble in water. Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, they cannot be retained in the body and are absorbed and excreted rapidly.
Fat-soluble vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins
B-complex vitamins comprise eight vitamins, including:
UTILIZING VITAMINS TO TACKLE CURRENT CHALLENGES IN POULTRY FARMING
Managing bird temperatures is a key obstacle in tropical poultry farming. Elevated ambient temperatures during growth and fattening phases lead to a series of responses known as heat stress.
Several biological mechanisms alleviate heat stress, including panting, sweating, and vasodilation. When heat stress prevails, there is a decrease in both feed consumption and bird activity (as shown in Figure 1).
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Figure 1: Effects of heat stress on poultry production
Birds spend more time drinking water, resting, and panting. Their ability to control temperature is diminished, especially due to their high body temperature (between 41 and 42 ºC) and the lack of sweating mechanisms, which are present in other animal species.
Heat stress can also reduce nutrient digestibility, fat deposition, and muscle formation in birds.
Furthermore, it can trigger respiratory alkalosis and hinder the immune function of broiler flocks. But how does this relate to vitamins?
Similarly, heat stress results in a reduction in the body’s levels of antioxidant vitamins, including vitamins C, A, and E. It also increases the excretion of vital minerals crucial for plasma composition and tissue development, leading to damage to cell membranes.
Vitamin C, also recognized as L-ascorbic acid, is a robust antioxidant typically produced in the liver and kidneys of birds.
Various literature recommendations suggest supplementing vitamin C to alleviate the effects of heat stress, assuming that ...
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