Table 3.
The effects of probiotic on bone traits of 43-day-old broilers subjected to daily cycling heating episodes.
| Item | Control | Probiotic | SEM | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tibia | ||||
| BMD (g/cm2) | 0.167 | 0.176 | 0.001 | 0.07 |
| BMC (g) | 2.05 | 2.44 | 0.02 | 0.001 |
| Area (cm2) | 12.23 | 13.91 | 0.12 | 0.003 |
| Weight (g) | 6.50 | 9.04 | 0.22 | 0.01 |
| Relative weight1 (g/kg) | 3.37 | 4.09 | 0.09 | 0.07 |
| Length (mm) | 92.11 | 93.50 | 0.44 | 0.44 |
| Width (mm) | 8.17 | 9.31 | 0.11 | 0.02 |
| Medial thickness (mm) | 1.07 | 1.14 | 0.01 | 0.15 |
| Lateral thickness (mm) | 1.61 | 1.60 | 0.02 | 0.91 |
| Weight/length index (mg/mm) | 70.29 | 96.87 | 2.37 | 0.01 |
| Robusticity index (g, cm) | 5.00 | 4.52 | 0.04 | 0.02 |
| Femur | ||||
| BMD (g/cm2) | 0.142 | 0.145 | 0.001 | 0.56 |
| BMC (g) | 1.33 | 1.55 | 0.02 | 0.01 |
| Area (cm2) | 9.38 | 10.75 | 0.11 | 0.01 |
| Weight (g) | 5.42 | 7.45 | 0.22 | 0.03 |
| Relative weight1 (g/kg) | 2.80 | 3.38 | 0.09 | 0.13 |
| Length (mm) | 69.33 | 71.33 | 0.37 | 0.20 |
| Width (mm) | 8.51 | 9.19 | 0.09 | 0.07 |
| Medial thickness (mm) | 1.41 | 1.27 | 0.03 | 0.25 |
| Lateral thickness (mm) | 1.41 | 1.50 | 0.02 | 0.38 |
| Weight/length index (mg/mm) | 77.85 | 103.74 | 2.66 | 0.03 |
| Robusticity index (g, cm) | 3.99 | 3.68 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
Least square means were presented (n = 12).
Abbreviations: BMC, bone mineral content; BMD, bone mineral density.
1
Relative weight was calculated as bone weight in g divided by body weight in kg.