DOI: 10.31196/huvfd.1927550 ISSN: 2146-717X

Organ-Specific Oxidative Responses in Broilers Reared on Agricultural By-Product Litters

Ece Koç, Miray Aykoç Göçer, Engin Furkan Derdiyok
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The use of agricultural by-products as alternatives to wood shavings in poultry production is increasing due to lower cost and easier availability. However, although most studies focus on performance and welfare, evidence regarding oxidative status, which plays a central role in regulating animal performance, welfare, and disease resilience, remains limited. This study evaluated the effects of alternative litter materials on oxidative status in broiler internal organs. A total of 480 male Ross 308 broilers (Gallus gallus domesticus) were assigned to five litter treatments (n=96): wood shavings (control), rice husk, wheat straw, corn stalk, and cotton stalk. On day 42, 16 broilers per group were euthanised, and the heart, liver, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius were collected. Tissue malondialdehyde, an indicator of oxidative damage, along with the enzymatic antioxidant catalase and the non-enzymatic antioxidant glutathione, were measured spectrophotometrically. Litter type was associated with organ-specific changes in selected oxidative and antioxidant biomarkers rather than a generalized pattern across tissues. In heart tissue, malondialdehyde levels were significantly higher in the corn stalk group, while antioxidant parameters remained unchanged. In the thymus, rice husk increased malondialdehyde levels together with catalase activity. In conclusion, the present findings suggest that certain alternative litter materials may be associated with organ-specific changes in selected oxidative and antioxidant biomarkers, while others show profiles comparable to wood shavings under the conditions of this study.

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