Study on the effect of ascorbic acid on heart parameters and right ventricular fractional shortening in broilers reared at high altitude ultrasonography

Ascites syndrome is one of the most problems of broilers industry and produce economical losses to this industry yearly. Because of ecological condition, importance of broiler breeding and high yearly mortality due to this syndrome in Iran, it was decided to investigate the effect of ascorbic acid as an antioxidant on heart structure, that one of the most limb which involve in this syndrome.In this study, 120 male day-old broiler chickens (Ross308) reared in 12 pens.Three group with 3 repitition consume ascorbic acid in concentration of 400,800 and 1200 part per million respectivly. One group with 3 repitition consume no supplemental material. At 6 week of the experiment, echocardiogram was obtained from 4 birds of each pen. Then echocardiographic parameters include RVWDd, RVWDs, RVIDd, RVIDs and RVFS were measured and compared with autopsy condition (the weigh of right to total ventricle ratio:RV/TV). The RVWDd and RV/TV of 400ppm group had significant difference with control group. From numerical point of view, RVWDd and RVWDs in other groups were thicker than control, RVIDd and RVIDs were smaller than control, RVFS in therapeutic groups not differ from control group, and finally RV/TV in therapeutic groups were smaller than control but none of them were significant. Thus, it was hypothesized that ascorbic acid may control ascites by prevention of right ventricular dilation and failure.