Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

1999

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design

Department

Animal and Nutritional Sciences

Committee Chair

H. Klandorf.

Abstract

Uric acid has been hypothesized as one of the most important antioxidants in limiting the accumulation of advanced glycolated endproducts in broiler breeder hens. This study was designed to quantitatively manipulate the plasma uric acid concentrations using hemin and allopurinol and determine its effect on skin pentosidine, shear force value of Pectoralis major muscle, plasma glucose, body and breast weight, and chemiluminescence induced oxidative stress in broiler chickens. Allopurinol decreased plasma uric acid, ranging from 26% to 74%, with the most pronounced effect at wk 22. Hemin increased plasma uric acid concentrations between 11 and 14%. Skin pentosidine levels increased (P < 0.05) in the allopurinol fed birds, in both ad libitum and diet restricted, at 22 wk of age and in hemin fed birds at wk 22. The reduction in uric acid concentration was associated with an increase in the level of oxidative stress, which can be linked to the increase in tissue skin pentosidine, thus advancing the decline in meat tenderness.

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