# Effect of Putrescine Inoculation In Ovo on Hatchability, Hepatic and Muscular Glycogen Reserve, Intestinal Morphology, and Performance of Broilers

## TL;DR

This study shows that adding putrescine to chicken embryos improves gut structure and liver energy reserves without affecting hatch rates or early growth.

## Contribution

The study reveals that putrescine enhances intestinal development and hepatic glycogen in broiler chickens without impacting hatchability or growth.

## Key findings

- Putrescine increased intestinal villus height in hatchlings, aiding nutrient absorption.
- Lower putrescine doses were linked to higher liver glycogen levels at hatch.
- Putrescine did not affect hatchability, organ weight ratios, or early growth performance.

## Abstract

This study explores how putrescine, a compound involved in cell growth, affects the development and early growth of broiler chickens. Researchers added different amounts of putrescine to the nutrient solutions given to chicken embryos and observed the effects on various aspects like hatchability, body weight, organ size, and gut development. They also looked at the levels of glycogen, an energy source, in the liver and breast muscles. The results show that while putrescine did not significantly change the number of chicks hatched or their early growth, it did result in taller gut-lining structures, which are important for nutrient absorption. Additionally, lower doses of putrescine were associated with higher energy reserves in the liver. The findings suggest that putrescine can enhance intestinal development without affecting overall growth or hatch success, potentially benefiting poultry farming by improving nutrient absorption and health in young birds. This could lead to more efficient and healthier poultry production, offering benefits to farmers and consumers alike by supporting the development of more robust and resilient chickens.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the inoculation of nutrient solutions with increasing levels of putrescine on the hatchability, physiology, and performance of broilers during the initial phase. The study is composed of four treatments with increasing doses of putrescine (0.015; 0.030; 0.060, and 0.090%) and a control group. At hatch, hatchability rate; ratio between egg weight and chick weight; ratio between yolk sac, liver, breast and intestine weight, and chick weight; glycogen concentration in the liver and breast; and morphometric characteristics of the jejunum and ileum were evaluated. After hatch, 400 birds were housed in metabolic cages according to the treatments received, and feed intake, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were assessed at specific time points. Hatchability, chick performance at hatch, and organ weight were not affected by the inoculation of increasing levels of putrescine. Intestinal villi at hatch were higher in groups supplemented with putrescine (p < 0.001). The amounts of hepatic glycogen per gram of tissue at hatch were higher in groups with the lowest levels of putrescine and decreased with increasing doses (p = 0.017). Growth performance from 1 to 21 days was not influenced by the inoculation of putrescine.