INFLUENCE OF NATURAL SILICON COMPOUNDS ON METABOLISM AND OSSIFICATION IN BROILER CHICKENS

Abstract

The goal of the study was to examine influence of bentonites from the Kantemirovskoe Field in the Voronezh Oblast, classified as silicitic group of aluminosilicates with high amorphous silica content, on formation of bone tissue in broiler chicken. The controlled experiment involved 2 groups of the ROSS-308 cross chickens two weeks old, 12 chickens each. The first group was control and fed till 40 days old with the basic ration; ration of the chickens in the second group was supplemented with 2% (dry w/w) bentonite for 27 days of the test. It was found that bentonite supplement improved general condition of the birds, which was revealed with increased daily body weight gain higher by 14% compared to control group. At the same time, bentonite promoted biological synthesis in birds, which resulted in increased content of total protein by 15.9% and triglycerides by 3.4%, with lower cytolytic activity in the hepatocytes due to stabilized level of transferase content. Introduction of aluminosilicates into the feeding ration of broiler chickens proved pronounced effect on the mineral metabolism, calcium and silicon in particular, thus demonstrating the associated character of metabolism of these two elements; the effect improved development of bone tissue in the limbs in test group chickens compared to the control group of analogs. The fact is amorphous silicon actively participates in the bone tissue mineralization process and forms Si-substituted calcium phosphates which have better osteoplastic properties as compared to common calcium phosphates. Therefore, the minerals of bentonite from the Kantemirovskoe Field donate both macro- and microelements, promote metabolism, and improve mineralization of the bone organic matrix thus making bone tissue in birds stronger, less permeable, and denser.