CARBON-13 TURNOVER IN BROILER TISSUES

Abstract

The technique of stable isotopes as tracers has been used to evaluate the development and regeneration of animals tissues and as a methodology to assess the broilers tissue amino acids requirement. In addition, the practice has the potential for traceability of animal ingredients in broilers feed through the analysis of their tissues. However, the development of such research, more studies are needed to expand knowledge of isotopic assimilation of organic matter in different birds tissues and stages of growth. The objective of this study is to determine the carbon turnover in broilers tissues at different stages of growth, using the C13natural variation between C3 and C4 plants. Two experiments will be performed. At first, 400 broiler chicks will be divided into seven groups. The birds should have C13 isotope signs in their tissues similar of the C4 diet consumed by female broiler breeders. To evaluate the turnover rate in the tissues, the bird will receive exclusively vegetable diets composed C3 plants predominantly. The first group will receive a C3 diet since the arrival of birds, while the other groups fed C4 diets. Group 2 will have their diet replaced by C3 diet with day 7º of life, group 3 on day 14º, group 4 on day 21º, group 5, at 28º, the group 6 at 35º and Group 7 at 42º days old . The second experiment is similar to the first, but there will be inclusion viscera flour in broilers diet. Tissues samples will be collected on several consecutive days the birds have previously replaced their diets to determine the isotopic carbon ratios in the mass spectrometer. To measure the carbon rate substitution after a certain time interval (turnover), will be used exponential function of time obtained by the method of exponential equations of the first order of Minitab ® 16 software.