Effects of dietary delta-aminolevulinic acid and vitamin C on growth performance, immune organ weight and ferrum status in broiler chicks

A total of 480 one-day-old male broilers (Arbor Acre) were used to test the effects of dietary δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and vitamin C (VC) supplementation on performance, blood characteristics, ferrum (Fe) status and immune organ weight. There were 6 treatments with 3 ALA (0, 5 and 10 kg− 1) and 2 VC (0 and 500 mg kg− 1) levels according to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement. The experimental diets were fed to chicks for 5 weeks. Growth performance was not affected by ALA or VC supplementation in any experimental period. The interaction between ALA (10 mg kg− 1) and VC significantly increased the serum hemoglobin and Fe concentrations in serum, liver and breast meat (P < 0.05). Supplementation with ALA (10 mg kg− 1) significantly increased the RBC concentration at the end of the experiment (P < 0.05). The weights of liver, spleen, thymus and bursa of Fabricius were unaffected by dietary treatments. The effect of VC was shown to increase the L* value of breast meat in broilers. In conclusion, these results suggest that providing broilers with diets that contained ALA and VC can improve their Fe status without adversely affecting their growth performance, immune related blood profiles and organ weights.