Effects of supplementation of canola meal-based diets with arginine on performance, plasma nitric oxide, and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens grown at high altitude

A total of 300 male broilers (Ross 308) were exposed to cool conditions at high altitudes to study the effects of dietary Arg supplementation on performance and physiological and zootechnical variables. A corn-soybean meal (SBM) and a corn-canola meal (CM) diet were formulated for the starting (1 to 3 wk of age) and growing (3 to 6 wk of age) stages according to NRC recommendations. Two additional diets were prepared by supplementing 0.2 and 0.4% L-Arg to the corn-CM diet. Substitution of CM for SBM caused a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in weight gain and feed intake and resulted in impaired feed: gain. Supplementing Arg in the CM diet restored the feed and weight losses to a significant extent so that a significant difference was found between CM diet and CM + 0.4% Arg in terms of weight gain for the growing (3 to 6 wk) stage and the entire study (1 to 6 wk; P < 0.05). Total plasma nitric oxide (NO) concentration analyzed by nitrate plus nitrite assay was measured in the treatment groups. A significant (P < 0.05) decrease in plasma NO level was observed by substituting CM for SBM in the diet. Supplementing the CM diet with Arg increased the plasma NO level above that of SBM group. Carcass and breast yields were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) as a result of substituting CM for SBM. The substitution of CM for SBM, however, significantly (P < 0.05) increased the proportions of thighs and heart. The right ventricular weight: total ventricular weight ratio and ascites mortality showed a significant (P < 0.05) increase when SBM was replaced by CM in the diet. Fortification of the CM diet with Arg eliminated the significant difference in the right-to-total ventricular weight ratios when compared with the SBM diet. In conclusion, feeding CM to broiler chickens raised at high altitude caused reduced growth performance and predisposed the birds to pulmonary hypertension and ascites, which were partly restored by Arg supplementation.