Effects of feed restriction on body weight, blood lipids and nitric oxide levels in broiler chickens

Eugenic programs have caused the increase of growth rate in broilers in previous decades. Unfortunately، the increase growth rate is associated with increase of cardiovascular disease such as ascites and sudden death syndrome. Feed restriction is used to reduce the above mentioned disease. In present experiment، the effect of feed restriction on body weight، blood lipids and nitric oxide level in broilers was investigated. Broiler chickens were restricted from 7 to 35 days of age under three groups of feed restrictions. Birds in the first group were not subjected to feed restriction (fed adlibitum) and the second and third groups were restricted daily for 4 and 8 hours. At the age of 35 days، the broilers were weighted and sampled their blood. Results of this study showed that feed restriction significantly led to reduce of body weight and energy utilization in broilers (P<0. 05). However، the levels of cholesterol، triglyceride and HDL were not affected by feed restriction. Feed restriction caused the increase of nitric oxide level and it was significantly higher in chickens subjected daily eight hours to feed restriction than those fed adlibitum (P<0. 05).