Evaluation the role of central serotonin and 5HT2c serotonin receptor on feed intake in female layer-type Bovans chicken by intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of Para-chlorophenylalanine and SB242084

Regulation of food intake is an important part of poultry and livestock breeding management which controlled by several factors such as neurotransmitters. Serotonin is one of the important and effective neurotransmitter regulated birds appetite. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of central serotonin and 5HT2c serotonin receptor on feed intake in female layer-type chicken Bovans by introcerebroventricular (ICV) injection of PCPA (parachlorophenylalanin: a brain serotonin depletive agent) and SB242084 (5HT2c antagonist serotonin receptor). A total of 33-one day old chicks, adapted to the experimental condition for three days, were randomly allocated to three treatment groups (n=11). Treatments included: control, ICV injection of normal saline; PCPA, ICV injection of 1.5µg PCPA, and SB242084, ICV injection of 1.5µg SB242084. Following three hours of food deprivation, the 5-days old birds received ICV injection of treatments that were dissolved in normal saline containing Evans blue. Amount of the food consumption and percentage of food intake based on body weight were recorded at 30, 60, 120, and 180 min post injection. Results showed that treatments had no effect on the amount of food intake and the percentage of food intake on the basis of body weight at the different experimental time-points (p>0.05). In addition, the average feed intake was not affected by the treatments (p>0.05). Overall, results of this study showed that serotonin and its specific 5HT2c receptor had no significant effect on food intake in 5-days old layer type Bovans chicks.