Table 6.
Effects of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol supplementation on femur mineralization of broilers fed normal or low calcium and phosphorus diet.1
| Item | Weight (g) | Length (cm) | Bone density (g/cm3) | Ash (%) | Ca (%) | P (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main effect | ||||||
| CaP level | ||||||
| Normal | 3.25 | 7.42 | 1.50 | 36.04 | 17.29 | 8.33 |
| Low | 2.97 | 7.34 | 1.33 | 32.10 | 15.93 | 6.97 |
| 25-OH-D3 | ||||||
| − | 3.14 | 7.38 | 1.33 | 33.37 | 16.12 | 7.30 |
| + | 3.08 | 7.39 | 1.50 | 34.77 | 17.10 | 7.99 |
| Interaction effect | ||||||
| NCaP | 1.51a | |||||
| LCaP | 1.15b | |||||
| NCaP + 25-OH-D3 | 1.48a | |||||
| LCaP + 25-OH-D3 | 1.51a | |||||
| SEM | 0.15 | 0.10 | 0.06 | 1.91 | 0.44 | 0.37 |
| P-value | ||||||
| CaP level | 0.083 | 0.448 | 0.007 | 0.053 | 0.006 | 0.002 |
| 25-OH-D3 | 0.672 | 0.932 | 0.008 | 0.472 | 0.037 | 0.074 |
| CaP × 25-OH-D3 | 0.698 | 0.932 | 0.003 | 0.067 | 0.100 | 0.829 |
a,bWithin comparisons, means in the same column with different superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05). Ash, Ca, and P contents are calculated by dividing the ash, Ca, and P weights by fat-free dry weight of femurs.
Data were the means and SEM, n = 6 broilers per treatment for data on interaction effect, and n = 12 broilers per treatment for data on main effect.
NCaP, normal calcium and phosphorus diet; LCaP, low calcium and phosphorus diet; NCaP +25-OH-D3, normal calcium and phosphorus diet supplemented with 69 μg/kg 25-hydroxycholecalciferol; LCaP +25-OH-D3, low calcium and phosphorus diet supplemented with 69 μg/kg 25-hydroxycholecalciferol; Ca, calcium; P, phosphorus.