VITAMIN E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for the proper nutrition of poultry.
It is a multifunctional vitamin, crucial for the integrity and optimal functioning of the urinary-genital, muscular, circulatory, nervous, and immune systems.
Below, we will delve into the main properties of vitamin E.
ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES
It is well-known that poultry or egg production is associated with various stresses, such as environmental stresses (heat stress, high stocking density), managerial stresses (transport, vaccination), pathological, and nutritional stresses (high dietary concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), presence of mycotoxins, prolonged storage, antioxidant deficiencies), which are responsible for reduced productive and reproductive performance.
It is believed that these stresses are responsible for decreased performance and animal welfare due to oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance within cells between the concentration of antioxidant and oxidant molecules, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are continuously produced during aerobic cellular metabolism, but the production of ROS exceeds the body’s antioxidant system’s ability to remove them when stress conditions occur.
Polyunsaturated fats, particularly those associated with phospholipids present in cell membranes, are particularly susceptible to oxidative damage due to the production of ROS, leading to lipid peroxidation, which causes dysfunction and cellular damage.
The concept of oxidative stress is becoming increasingly central in animal nutrition.
As a factor of biological damage, it is considered a contributing cause of numerous pathological conditions that affect poultry production.
The antioxidant system that counteracts damage from free radicals (ROS) includes both enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems.
Non-enzymatic defense systems include antioxidants, such as vitamin E.
Antioxidants are molecules produced by the body or introduced through feed that inhibit the oxidation of other molecules.
Vitamin E acts as a membrane antioxidant.
It binds to phospholipids and “traps” free radicals to prevent the lipid peroxidation described earlier.
By interrupting lipid peroxidation at the membrane level (a chain reaction that, if not halted, leads to cell death), vitamin E preserves the body’s stores of other oxidizable materials such as vitamin A, vitamin C, dietary pigments responsible for yolk color, and others.
IMMUNE RESPONSE
Vitamin E plays a crucial role in reducing the morphological and functional alterations of epithelial structures (skin and mucous membranes) induced by various agents, which often represent the entry point for pathogens into the host organism.
The integrity of natural barriers to pathogens therefore also depends on the dietary intake of vitamin E.
Vitamin E, acting as an antioxidant, helps to counteract the damage from free radicals produced in the body during infections, but vitamin E also affects both cellular and humoral immune responses.
Vitamin E, along with selenium, appears to enhance the host’s defenses against infections by not only improving the function of phagocytic cells but also stimulating the synthesis of serum antibodies.
ROLE DURING ASCITES IN BROILERS
Results from many studies have suggested that oxidative damage may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of ascites.
During ascites, ROS production increases dramatically, and the antioxidant status of tissues is severely compromised.
The antioxidant properties of vitamin E have been successfully applied to reduce oxidative stress in broiler chickens with ascites.
A high intake of vitamin E can alleviate oxidative stress in pulmonary hypertension syndrome (PHS), a condition that predisposes to ascites, and can be useful in reducing ascites mortality in broilers.
SEED QUALITY
High concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids in avian spermatozoa are associated with increased susceptibility to ROS and therefore to lipid peroxidation, which predisposes to male subfertility.
Oxidative stress reduces the number of gametes, decreases sperm motility, and increases the percentage of dead cells, so the antioxidant system of the semen plays an important role in maintaining fertility.
Vitamin E is a crucial stabilizer of the membranes in reproductive spermatozoa, and the concentration of vitamin E in spermatozoa depends on their diet.
During reproduction, body reserves of vitamin E are significantly reduced.
As reported by several studies on semen, supplementation with vitamin E in breeding males has led to improved sperm quality by preventing oxidation and inhibiting lipid peroxidation of spermatozoa membranes.
EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT
During embryo development, there is a significant accumulation of polyunsaturated fatty acids within the embryonic tissue.
Vitamin E, transported from the yolk to the embryo tissues during development, protects these polyunsaturated fatty acids from oxidative damage by preventing lipid peroxidation, thus playing a vital role during the embryonic stage and into the early days of the chick’s life.
Crucial for proper embryonic development is the level of vitamin E accumulated in the yolk.
This accumulation is closely related to the concentration of vitamin E in the mother’s diet, which is why it is important to ensure high levels of vitamin E in breeders.
SELENIUM
It is known that some functions of vitamin E can be fulfilled entirely or partially by the presence of trace amounts of selenium.
The antioxidant action of vitamin E increases linearly with the levels of selenium inclusion in the diet, which is why vitamin E supplementation is associated with selenium supplementation.
Their functions are so closely related that there are suspected to be unexplored functions of their synergistic action, especially regarding their role in the immune system.
Selenium, unlike vitamin E, becomes part of the animal’s enzymatic antioxidant mechanisms, being a cofactor for over 25 selenoproteins that participate in antioxidant processes, such as the enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px).
Glutathione peroxidase is an enzyme capable of converting one of the main ROS, hydrogen peroxide, into water and oxygen, preventing the oxidation of unsaturated lipid materials within cells, in order to protect cell membranes from oxidative damage.
The action of selenium is therefore synergistic with that of vitamin E but also dependent, as vitamin E can influence the expression of a number of different genes, including selenoproteins.
SELENIUM AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
Selenium, like vitamin E, is essential for the activity of multiple components of the immune system.
In broilers experimentally fed selenium-deficient diets, lesions in immune organs and decreased serum levels of immune system mediators were recorded, indicating that oxidative stress induced by selenium deficiencies inhibits the development of immune organs and compromises their functionality.
EVIT LIQUID is a liquid complementary feed to be added to drinking water at a rate of 100 ml/100 L to supplement the diet with vitamin E and selenium.
Acquistalo ora https://tecnozoo.it/prodotto/mangime-complementare-evit-liquido/
Do you want to stay updated on all the latest Tecnozoo news?
