Effect of copper nanoparticles and copper sulfate administered in ovo on copper content in breast muscle, liver and spleen of broiler chickens.

Abstract

Effect of copper nanoparticles and copper sulfate administered in ovo on copper content in breast muscle, liver and spleen of broiler chickens. The initial experimental material included 300 hatching eggs of Hubbard Flex chickens. The eggs were divided into three groups: control, NanoCu and CuSO4. Eggs from groups NanoCu and CuSO4 were subjected to in ovo injection to the air cell of egg. Experimental solutions were administered by in ovo injection using a sterile needle and a 0.3 mL syringe as follows: NanoCu – colloid of copper nanoparticles, concentration 50 ppm; and CuSO4 – colloid of copper sulfate, concentration 50 ppm. The eggs were incubated under standard conditions. After hatching, 50 chicks were selected from each group for 42-day rearing. The birds were fed standard feed concentrates for broilers. In that last day of rearing (42 day), 12 females and 12 males were selected from each group. The right part of their breast muscle, their liver and spleen were collected for copper content determinations. Results of this experiment confi rm previous scientifi c reports which demonstrate that the greatest accumulation of copper is observed in soft organs like liver or spleen.