Effects of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids diet on growth performance, intestinal morphology and lipogenesis in broiler chickens

The present study was conducted with 4 dietary treatments including: 1) diet containing 5% soybean oil, 2) diet containing 5% soybean oil with vitamin E, 3) diet containing 5% flax oil and 4) diet containing 5% flax oil with vitamin E were used. Flax oil and Soybean oil were used as n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) sources, respectively. A total of 192 day-old broilers (Ross 308) were randomized across 16 floor pens (12 birds per litter pen). The dietary treatments were applied from 1 to 42 d of age in which growth performance was measured. At the end of trial, blood sampling was done and carcass characteristics and gut morphology were recorded. There were no significant difference between treatments in terms of growth performance, total feed intake, weight gain, FCR and carcass characteristics. Birds fed flax oil had lower serum triacylglyceride, cholesterol and they had significantly lower liver and abdominal fat pad weights (P