The effect of In ovo injection of zinc-methionine and nano-zinc methionine on the Zn-T1 gene expression, alkaline phosphatase and maltase activity in broilers small intestine

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of intra amniotic injection of zinc-methionine and nano-zinc-methionine on intestinal zinc transporter (zn-t1)expression and alkaline phosphatase and maltase activity in the broiler jejunum. Four hundred fertile eggs were divided into four groups (treatment), each with four samples (replicate). The first three treatments were subject to intra amniotic injection of one milliliter of physiologic serum solution, physiologic serum solution containing 25% zinc- methionine and/or containing 25% nano-zinc- methionine, respectively, at the 17th day of incubation. The fourth treatment (negative control) received no injection. The hatchability percentage was calculated and two birds from each replicate were killed then intestinal alkaline phosphatase and maltase activity and Zn-T1gene expression were assayed at 1, 3 and 7 days after hatch. The highest body weight was for Zinc-methionine (43.02± 0.06) and Nano-zinc-methionine (42.77±0.06) treatments (P˂0.01). Also at 1 and 7 days of post hatch the weight of small intestine in the Zinc-methionine (1.55±0.07, 9.7±0.048) and Nano-zinc-methionine (1.51±0.07, 9.5±0.048) treatments were higher than other treatments (p˂0.01). Ten nano-zinc-methionine treatment, at 1, 3 and 7 days after hatching, had the most activity of alkaline phosphatase (7.2 ± 0.04, 11.5± 0.08, 17.8 ± 0.1) and maltase (4.2±0.03, 5.5±0.02, 8.8±0.06) andmost Zn-T1 gene expression (3.67±0.005, 4.24±0.007, 3.17±0.009) (P˂0.01). In conclusion, in Ovo injection of Nano-zinc-methionine showed up-regulate Zn-T1 gene expression and lead to increase alkaline phosphatase and maltase activity of chick intestine during first week after hatch.