Effect of Vitamin E and Selenium Supplementation on Growth Performance and Heat Shock Protein 70 Levels in Broiler Chickens Exposed to Summer Heat Stress

Background: The effect of vitamin E and Selenium supplementation in diet of broiler chicken on growth performance and Heat shock protein70 (HSP70) level under summer heat stress was studied. Methods: The current study was conducted on 240 day-old commercial broiler chicks, which were divided randomly into four treatment groups of 60 numbers, with three replicates of 20 in each group. The control (T-0) group was allotted with basal diet, group T-1 (basal diet + Vitamin E @ 100 mg/kg and Selenium @ 0.2 mg/kg), T-2 (basal diet + Vitamin E @ 125 mg/kg and Selenium @ 0.25 mg/kg) and T-3 (basal diet + Vitamin E @ 150 mg/kg and Selenium @ 0.3 mg/kg). Result: In the present study, it has been found that, vitamin E and selenium supplementation in the diet of heat stressed broilers influenced the body weight (P=0.002), Body weight gain (P=0.001), Feed Intake (P=0.311) and BPEI (P=0.013) but not the Feed conversion ratio. Dietary vitamin E and Selenium supplementation increased the dressing percentage (P<0.001), Breast meat yield percentage (P=0.004), Thigh yield percentage (P=0.018), Drum stick yield percentage (P=0.013) and decreased abdominal fat percentage (P=0.004) under heat stress. The Heat shock protein level was improved (P<0.001) by dietary supplementation of vitamin E and Selenium under heat stress. The study indicated that growth performance, carcass characteristics and HSP70 level could be improved by dietary vitamin E and Selenium supplementation under heat stress.