Amelioration of the effects of cyclic heat stress in broiler chickens with dietary betaine and antioxidants

Abstract

Controlling and managing environmental conditions is crucial to avoid hyperthermia and heat stress, and hence to successful poultry production and welfare. Heat stress (HS) is one of the most important environmental factors challenging poultry production globally. The detrimental effects of HS on broilers range from reduced growth rate to decreased poultry meat quality. Increasingly, there has been a focus on the use of nutritional supplements as a cost effective HS amelioration strategy. The use of antioxidants such as selenium, vitamin E and polyphenols to improve productivity via reduced levels of oxidative stress in tissues when broiler chickens were exposed to cyclic HS. Another molecul..