EFFECTS OF CIMATEROL ON THE GROWTH PERFORMANCE, CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS AND TISSUE METABOLISM IN BROILER CHICKS FED DIFFERENT DIETARY ENERGY

This study was a sequential experiment consisting if feeding trial and in vitro culture studies. Feeding was conducted by $2{\times}2{\times}2$ factorial design with two cimaterol levels (0, 0.25 mg/kg), two energy levels (3,200, 2,900 ME kcal/kg) and two sexes. In starting period (0-21 days) broilers were fed diets containing two energy level without dietary supplementation of cimaterol. During finishing period (21-42 days) cimaterol groups were fed cimaterol supplemented diets. In vitro cultures were carried out to study the cellular metabolism of protein and fat in liver and adipose tissues prepared from chicks used in feeding trials. Body weight gain was significantly improved by the administration of cimaterol to experimental diets by 2.4% (p < 0.05). Feed intake was reduced by cimaterol administration at the high energy level, but this trend was reversed at low energy level. Feed efficiency was improved by cimaterol administration and at high energy level the difference (5.7%) was significant(p < 0.05). The administration of cimaterol had no effects on percentage of abdominal fat content, giblet and neck. There was little difference in carcass yield between control and cimaterol treated group. The administration of cimaterol had no effects on nutrient metabolizability or carcass composition. The results of in vitro studies with liver tissues showed that cimaterol increased the lipolytic activities (p < 0.05) and decreased lipogenic activities (p < 0.05). In in vitro studies with acinar cell of liver tissues. cimaterol increased the amount of retained protein and decreased secreted protein at high energy level. but the trend was opposite at low energy level.