Nutritional Evaluation of Full-fat Sunflower Seed for Broiler Chickens

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the use of various levels of full-fat sunflower seeds (FFSS) on broiler performance and carcass characteristics. In the first experiment, FFSS was included in a basal diet at 70, 140, and 210 g/kg and the values of the experimental diets were determined. The linear regression equation of values on rate of inclusion was calculated. Extrapolation value for the of FFSS at 100% inclusion was 14.22 MJ/kg. In the second experiment, diets containing various levels (0, 70, 140, and 210 g/kg) of FFSS were given to broilers (Ross strain) from 0 to 49 d. At 28 days of age, blood parameters and digestive enzyme activities were determined and carcass parameters were evaluated at 49 days of age. Weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were improved (p

Full text

557
INTRODUCTION
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is one of the most
widely cultivated oilseeds in the world and ranks third in
importance as a source of vegetable oil. Although referred
to as sunflower seed, it is more correctly described as a type
of indehiscent fruit. Hybrid varieties contain 380 to 540 g of
oil/kg (Crum et al., 1993), which is very rich in linoleic acid.
It also has 12.6% CF, 21.13% NDF (neutral detergent fiber),
14.98% ADF (acid detergent fiber), and 4.4% ADL (acid
detergent lignin) (Rodriguez et al., 2005). Sunflower seed
contains a moderate amount of protein, approximately 40 to
50% (as much as soybean seeds). Trends toward
formulating high-energy diets for broiler chickens make it
necessary for inclusion of fats and oils up to 10% in broiler
feeds. Fats and oils are rich sources of energy, containing
39.29 MJ/kg gross energy, but are more costly on a weight
basis and may contain impurities (Blair and Potter, 1988).
As an alternative to fats and oils, full-fat oilseeds (Ajuyah et
al., 1993) such as soybean seed are used to replace the
supplemented fats and oils in broiler diets. However,
soybean seed has anti-nutritional factors such as trypsin
inhibitors, which need further processing, thus increasing
the cost of soybean seed. Among the various oilseeds
available on the market, FFSS contains more ether extract
(EE) and is available at a relatively low price. This high EE
content contributes to a high ME per unit or high energy
density of feed. The increased production and availability of
hybrid FFSS coupled with its oil content make FFSS a
potentially desirable ingredient in poultry feeds. In the last
few years, unextracted whole seed has been used as a feed
ingredient in poultry diets.
Available data from published reports indicate that
FFSS can be used as a source of nutrients for broiler diets
(Daghir et al., 1980; Cheva-Isarakul and Tangtaweewipat,
1991; Elzubeir and Ibrahim, 1991; RodriÂguez et al., 1998).
However, results from some of these studies suggested
conflicting conclusions about the effect of dietary level of
FFSS on the performance response of chickens. FFSS is a
source of dietary monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and
inclusion of it in monogastric diets can be particularly
Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci.
Vol. 22, No. 4 : 557 - 564
April 2009
www.ajas.info
Nutritional Evaluation of Full-fat Sunflower Seed for Broiler Chickens
S. Salari*, H. Nassiri Moghaddam, J. Arshami and A. Golian
Department of Animal Science, Agricultural Faculty, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
ABSTRACT : Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the use of various levels of full-fat sunflower seeds (FFSS) on broiler
performance and carcass characteristics. In the first experiment, FFSS was included in a basal diet at 70, 140, and 210 g/kg and the
AMEn values of the experimental diets were determined. The linear regression equation of AMEn values on rate of inclusion was
calculated. Extrapolation value for the AMEn of FFSS at 100% inclusion was 14.22 MJ/kg. In the second experiment, diets containing
various levels (0, 70, 140, and 210 g/kg) of FFSS were given to broilers (Ross strain) from 0 to 49 d. At 28 days of age, blood
parameters and digestive enzyme activities were determined and carcass parameters were evaluated at 49 days of age. Weight gain, feed
intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were improved (p<0.05) when broilers were fed various levels of FFSS in the starter and finisher
diets. Breast, thigh, gastrointestinal tract and gizzard weight percentages were not affected by dietary treatments; however, liver weight
percentage was decreased significantly (p<0.05) and weight of abdominal fat decreased but this effect was not significant. The activities
of digestive enzyme (protease and α-amylase) were not influenced by the treatments. Activity of alkaline phosphatase, concentrations of
calcium, phosphorus, glucose, triglyceride, protein, high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) were not affected
by incorporation of FFSS in the broiler diet. Although concentration of HDL increased and LDL decreased, these effects were not
significant. The results of this study indicate that FFSS can be used at up to 21% in broiler diets without adverse effects on performance
or other parameters of chickens. (Key Words : Full-fat Sunflower Seed, Broiler Chicks, Metabolizable Energy, Organ Weight, Blood
Parameters)
* Corresponding Author: Somayyeh Salari. Tel: +98-5118795618,
Fax: +98-5118787430, E-mail: somayehsallary@yahoo.com
Received August 22, 2008; Accepted October 24, 2008

Salari et al. (2009) Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 22(4):557-564
558
valuable to increase the degree of unsaturation of
intramuscular fat without the negative effect of lipid
oxidation associated with dietary polyunsaturated fatty
acids (PUFA). There is increasing evidence that dietary
monounsaturated fatty acid enrichment has a positive effect
on cardiovascular health, decreasing low-density lipoprotein
cholesterol but not high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in
blood plasma, and decreasing the susceptibility of low-
density lipoprotein to oxidation (Grundy, 1986; Roche,
2001). Reduction of fat and cholesterol content has higher
consumer acceptance.
Reports of ME content of FFSS differ widely based on
the EE content of the FFSS (Daghir et al., 1980; Eluzubeir
and Ibrahim, 1991).
The nutritional value of sunflower seed for poultry has
not been extensively studied. In view of the lack of
information on the value of FFSS for poultry, the study
reported here was initiated to confirm its nutritional worth
and to establish its optimal level of inclusion in the diet for
broilers in terms of blood parameters, production
performance and carcass quality.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
These experiments were carried out in the experimental
farm of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (Mashhad, Iran).
A batch of sunflower seeds (cultivar Peredovic) was
obtained from a commercial supplier and cleaned by hand
to eliminate impurities and used in experiments 1 and 2.
The test material was analyzed in duplicate for dry matter,
crude protein (N×6.25), crude fiber, and crude fat by the
procedures of the Association of Official Analytical
Chemists (1995). Fat extracts were methylated in the
presence of sulphuric acid for gas chromatographic
identification of fatty acids (Sandler and Karo, 1992). Gross
energy was determined using an adiabatic oxygen bomb
calorimetric (Parr 1266) (Table 1).
Experiment 1
This experiment was conducted to determine the AMEn
value of FFSS with a multilevel assay including 4 dietary
inclusion levels. A corn-soybean meal basal diet (Table 2)
was prepared in mash form and formulated to meet the
nutrient requirements for broiler chickens (2 to 3 wk of age)
recommended by the National Research Council (1994).
FFSS was incorporated into the basal diets at 3
Table 1. Determined analysis of full-fat sunflower seed on dry
matter basis
Ingredient Value
Moisture (%) 8.5
Crude protein (%) 18
Ether extract (%) 38
Crude fiber (%) 14.3
Calcium (%) 0.28
Available phosphorus (%) 0.22
ME (MJ/kg) 16.18
Fatty acid content (%)
C12:0 0.1
C14:0 0.2
C16:0 10
C16:1 0.1
C18:0 4
C18:1n-9 18.1
C18:2 n-6 66
C18:3 n-3 0.5
C20:0 0.5
C22:0 0.5
Total saturated (S) 15.3
Total monounsaturated 18.2
Total polyunsaturated (P): n-6 66
n-3 0.5
P:S 4.34
Table 2. Composition and nutritive value of basal diet and diets with increasing levels of full-fat sunflower seed (FFSS), experiment 1
Inclusion (%)
Ingredients (%) 0 7 14 21
Corn 61.95 57.43 52.9 48.37
Soybean meal 33.88 31.4 28.93 26.46
FFSS - 7 14 21
Salt 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4
Limestone 1.47 1.47 1.47 1.47
Dicalcium phosphate 1.35 1.35 1.35 1.35
DL-methionine 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15
Chromium oxide 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3
Vitamine-mineral permix1 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Nutrient composition (%)
ME (MJ/kg) 12.30 12.54 12.77 13.00
Crude protein 20.11 19.90 19.70 19.5
Lysine 1.23 1.17 1.12 1.07
Met+cys 0.95 0.9 0.83 0.77
1 Supplied per kilogram of diet: vitamin A, 10,000 IU; vitamin D3, 9,790 IU; vitamin E, 121 IU; B12, 20 μg; riboflavin, 4.4 mg; calcium pantothenate, 40
mg; niacin, 22 mg; choline, 840 mg; biotin, 30 μg; thiamine, 4 mg; zinc sulphate, 60 mg; manganese oxide, 60 mg.

Salari et al. (2009) Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 22(4):557-564
559
concentrations (7, 14, and 21%). The 4 experimental diets,
which contained 0.3% chromium oxide as an indigestible
marker, were evaluated in a balance trial to determine the
ME content.
One-day old male chicks of Ross strain were housed in
floor pens, exposed to light for 24 h/d, and fed a standard
broiler diet for 2 wk. Feed and water were provided ad
libitum. On d 10, 80 birds were placed at random in 16
cages for 4 replicates per dietary treatments. On d 15, the
birds were starved for 4 hours and then received the
experimental diets from 15 to 21 d of age. During the last 3
d, excreta samples from each cage were collected and stored
at -20°C. After being thawed, excreta were homogenized,
dried, and ground through a 1-mm screen. Diets and excreta
were analysed for dry matter, CP, chromium oxide, and
gross energy.
Experiment 2
The objective of this experiment was to study the effect
of various levels of FFSS on blood parameters, carcass
characteristics and performance of broiler chickens. Four
experimental isocaloric (ME) and isonitrogenous broiler
starter and finisher diets were formulated to contain 0, 7, 14,
and 21% FFSS (Tables 3 and 4). Broiler starter diet (12.135
MJ/kg ME; 20.25% CP) was fed from 0 to 3 wk. From 3 to
7 wk, finisher diets (12.55 MJ/kg ME; 18.5% CP) were
given to broilers. All the diets were calculated to meet the
requirements of broiler chicks recommended by the
National Research Counsil (1994). One hundred seventy six
1-day-old male commercial broiler chicks (Ross strain)
were weighted, and distributed randomly to 4 treatments
with 4 replicates (11 chicks in each replicate/pen) in each
treatment. Water and feed were provided ad libitum. Weekly
body weight gain and feed consumption of each pen were
recorded. At 28 days of age, 4 birds per treatment (one from
each replicate) were randomly selected and killed by
cervical dislocation and blood was collected by heart
puncture. Serum was separated and analyzed for
concentrations of different cholesterol fractions, that is,
HDL and LDL (Zlatkis et al., 1953) and triglycerides
(Fossati and Lorenzo, 1982), total serum protein (Doumas
et al., 1971) and calcium (AOAC, 1995). The inorganic
phosphorus concentration of serum was measured using the
phosphomolybdic acid method (Fiske and Subbarow, 1925).
Serum also analyzed for determination of alkaline
phosphatase (ALP), using the protocol provided by the kit
manufacturer (Zist-Shimi, Tehran, Iran).
Digestive enzyme activities were determined in the
ileum digesta of broiler chicks at 4 weeks of age. For this
reason, the ileum from the Meckel’s divertriculum to 4 cm
above the ileocaecal junction was quickly dissected out and
the contents of them were aseptically collected in screw-
capped sterile specimen vials and the vials were placed in a
freezer at -20°C until required. These vials were only used
for the determination of enzyme activities. Four hundred
milligrams of ileal content were quickly weighted into test-
tubes kept on ice and 6 ml ice-cold physiological saline (9 g
NaCl/L) was added and centrifuged at 2,000 g. Portions of
Table 3. Composition and nutrient contents of broiler diets at the starter phase, experiment 2
Level of full-fat sunflower seed in diet (%)
Ingredients (%) 0 7 14 21
Corn 61.26 53.86 46.33 39.66
Soybean meal 34.3 31.8 29.33 27
Full-fat sunflower seed - 7 14 21
Wheat bran - 3 6 8
Limestone 1.47 1.47 1.47 1.47
Dicalcium phosphate 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.7
Salt 0.47 0.47 0.47 0.47
Vitamine-mineral permix1 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
DL-methionine 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Nutrient composition (%)
ME (MJ/kg) 12.13 12.13 12.13 12.13
Crude protein 20.86 20.86 20.86 20.86
Ether extract 2.6 5.05 7.5 9.94
Crude fiber 2.69 3.84 4.99 6.06
Calcium 1.05 1.04 1.06 1.07
Available P 0.47 0.46 0.48 0.49
Sodium 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Lysine 1.24 1.2 1.16 1.12
Methionine 0.52 0.53 0.54 0.54
Arginine 1.43 1.47 1.51 1.55
1 Supplied per kilogram of diet: vitamin A, 10,000 IU; vitamin D3, 9,790 IU; vitamin E, 121 IU; B12, 20 μg; riboflavin, 4.4 mg; calcium pantothenate, 40
mg; niacin, 22 mg; choline, 840 mg; biotin, 30 μg; thiamine, 4 mg; zinc sulphate, 60 mg; manganese oxide, 60 mg.

Salari et al. (2009) Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 22(4):557-564
560
supernatant fractions containing enzymes were assayed for
protease and amylase activities according to procedure of
Najafi et al. (2006) and Najafi et al. (2005) respectively. At
the end of the experiment (49 days), one bird from each
replicate (close to the mean body weight of the replicate)
was selected and slaughtered to study the relative weights
of liver, abdominal fat, gizzard, thigh, breast and
gastrointestinal tract.
Calculations and statistical analysis
Apparent metabolizable energy was calculated as
follows:
ME (kcal/kg) = dietary gross energy
×(1-(diet Cr2O3/excreta Cr2O3)
×(excreta gross energy/diet gross energy))
The correction of AME to zero nitrogen retention
(AMEn) was based on a factor of 8.22 kcal/g of retained N
(Hill and Anderson, 1958).
The AMEn value of FFSS was calculated using the
following equation: AMEn = (AMEn T-α×AMEn B)/b, where
T is the test diet, α is the proportion of the basal diet in the
test diets, B is the basal diet, and b is the proportion of
FFSS in the test diets.
Statistical analyses were performed by using the GLM
procedures of SAS software (SAS Institute, 1999). Data
generated from experiment 1 were subjected to ANOVA to
identify variation produced by inclusion level of FFSS;
regression analysis was also used to establish dietary
changes as a function of inclusion level of FFSS.
Experiment 2 was carried out in a completely randomized
design. These data were subjected to an analysis of variance
according to the GLM procedure for the ANOVA and the
significant differences among means were determined by
using Duncan’s multiple range test. Differences among
treatments means were compared at p<0.05.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The nutrient composition of the FFSS used in this study
appears in Table 1. Values for ether extract and crude fiber
are similar to those reported by Cheve-Isarakul and
Tangtaweewipat (1990); whereas crude protein is
considerably lower. This difference may be due to genetic,
Table 4. Composition and nutrient contents of broiler diets at the finisher phase, experiment 2
Level of full-fat sunflower seed in diet (%)
Ingredients (%) 0 7 14 21
Corn 66.92 59.73 52.43 45.3
Soybean meal 29.3 26.7 24.3 21.9
Full-fat sunflower seed - 7 14 21
Wheat bran - 2.8 5.5 8
Limestone 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4
Dicalcium phosphate 1.45 1.45 1.45 1.45
Salt 0.35 0.35 0.35 0.35
Vitamine-mineral permix 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
DL-methionine 0.08 0.07 0.07 0.05
L-lysine - - - 0.05
Nutrient composition (%)
ME (MJ/kg) 12.55 12.55 12.55 12.55
Crude protein 18.75 18.75 18.75 18.75
Ether extract 2.78 5.23 7.67 10.12
Crude fibre 2.61 3.75 4.88 5.99
Calcium 0.93 0.95 0.96 0.98
Available P 0.4 0.41 0.42 0.43
Sodium 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.16
Lysine 1.09 1.05 1.01 1.01
Methionine 0.38 0.38 0.39 0.38
Arginine 1.27 1.31 1.35 1.39
1 Supplied per kilogram of diet: vitamin A, 10,000 IU; vitamin D3, 9,790 IU; vitamin E, 121 IU; B12, 20 μg; riboflavin, 4.4 mg; calcium pantothenate, 40
mg; niacin, 22 mg; choline, 840 mg; biotin, 30 μg; thiamine, 4 mg; zinc sulphate, 60 mg; manganese oxide, 60 mg.
Table 5. Apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn)1 of diets with
increasing levels of full-fat sunflower seed (FFSS), and of FFSS
determined by difference and regression analysis, experiment 1
Level of FFSS (g/kg) AMEn of diets
(kcal/kg)
AMEn of FFSS
(kcal/kg)
0 2,970a -
70 2,992b 3,284.28
140 3,012b 3,270
210 3,065b 3,422.38
SEM 37.68
Values with a common letter do not differ significantly (p<0.05).
1 AMEn determinations were made based on 16 cages of 1 bird each.
Linear regression equation: y = 2,964+0.4357x; R2 = 0.801 where y =
AMEn (kcal/kg) and x = dietary inclusion level of FFSS (g/kg)

Salari et al. (2009) Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 22(4):557-564
561
varietal, soil, and climatic conditions as suggested by
Vaughan (1970).
Apparent metabolisable energy
Table 5 shows AMEn data (kcal/kg) for the experimental
diets. Increasing inclusion rate of FFSS increased the AMEn
of the diets. To further assess this trend, the dietary AMEn
values were regressed against the inclusion level of FFSS
using linear and quadratic models. The results showed that
the linear component was highly significant, whereas the
quadratic component did not reach a significant level. This
indicated that the energy contribution of FFSS to diets was
additive, and the inclusion rate did not alter the use of other
dietary ingredients. By using the AMEn values determined
for the basal diet and the basal diet containing a given
amount of FFSS, the AMEn (kcal/kg) of this feed was
calculated by difference (Table 5). The AMEn values
obtained for diets in the experiment reported here were
regressed on level of FFSS in the basal diet to estimate the
AMEn content in FFSS. The equation derived of fitting a
linear model was the following: y = 2,964+0.4357x; R2 =
0.801.
An estimate of the AMEn of FFSS was obtained by
extrapolation of equation where 1,000 g/kg FFSS in the diet
gave a value of 14.22 MJ/kg. The energy value thus
obtained for FFSS was lower than the 18.71 MJ/kg and
17.67 MJ/kg reported by Rodriguez et al. (1998) and
Rodriguez et al. (2005), respectively. This difference may
be related to crude fat content. Because sunflower seed they
used had a higher amount of crude fat (47.3% and 44.4%
respectively). The cell walls of grains and oilseeds can
serve as a physical barrier for digestive enzymes and
nutrients contained within the cells and can either prevent
entirely or delay digestion of nutrients in the last portion of
the duodenum (Simon et al., 1996). Not only the total fiber
content, but also the physical and chemical structure of
fibrous polysaccharides, and their anatomical arrangement
within each specific ingredient, affect the accessibility of
enzymes for digestion of nutrients. Protein and many other
nutrients are “encapsulated” to variable degrees, inside
fibrous structures, and remain less available for digestion by
the bird's proteases and other endogenous enzymes. These
effects may decrease AMEn value of oilseeds. In our
experiment, crude fiber of the diets was increased by
increasing the level of FFSS, but AMEn value of the diets
was not decreased. It seems that the crude fiber of FFSS
may not have an effect on AMEn of the diets.
Performance parameters
Table 6 shows the effects of different levels of FFSS on
the performance parameters of broiler chickens. Feed intake
increased significantly (p<0.05) when increasing levels of
FFSS was incorporated in the diet for 1 to 21, 22 to 42 and
1 to 49 days of experiment. These results are in contrast to
the results of Cheva-Isarakul and Tangtaweewipat (1990),
that they showed feed intake decreased when FFSS added
to the diets. Weight gain also increased significantly in the
different stages of our experiment (p<0.05). Except for 1 to
21 and 1 to 49 days of age, feed conversion ratio (FCR)
improved significantly (p<0.05). These results are in
contrast of Arija et al. (1998). They showed that
performance parameters reduced when FFSS added to the
diets. Rodriguez et al. (1998) reported not significant
differences in weight gain, feed intake and feed utilization
among the chicks receiving the control diet and those fed on
diets with increasing level of hulled full-fat sunflower seed
(HFFSS) (from 50-250 g/kg diet). In general, these results
are in accordance with those obtained by Elzubeir and
Ibrahim (1991), who reported that unprocessed sunflower
seed can be given to broilers at up to 225 g/kg of the diet
with no adverse effects on performance. Other researchers
(Cheva-Isarakul and Tangtaweewipat, 1991) found that
broilers fed diets containing up to 500 g/kg HFFSS gained
slightly more weight and had a significantly better feed
conversion ratio than the birds in the control group. In
contrast with these findings, Daghir et al. (1980) observed
that feeding 150 and 250 g/kg HFFSS to broilers depressed
both body weight gain and feed intake. But Elangovan et al.
(2000) showed live weight gain, feed intake, nutrient
retention and carcass characteristics of quails did not vary
significantly (p>0.05), when sunflower seed meal increased
in the diets. One possible explanation for this disagreement
of results is that different sunflower varieties or cultivars
varying in chemical composition were used in the
experiments. Selvaraj et al. (2004) used various levels of
FFSS (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20) and reported that weight gain
Table 6. Effect of full-fat sunflower seed on performance parameters of broiler (1-49 days of age), experiment 2
Feed intake (g/b) Weight gain (g/b) Feed conversion ratio
FFSS (g/kg) 1-21 22-42 43-49 1-49 1-21 22-42 43-49 1-49 1-21 22-42 43-49 1-49
0 823.63b 2,446b 1,019.8 4,125.1b 417.48b 1,117.07b350.7b 1,741.7b 1.975 2.545a 2.90a 2.392
70 874.70ab 2,793.5a 1,089.2 4,757.4a 451.04ab 1,099.16b456.98ab 1,935.6ab 1.940 2.482a 2.38b 2.455
140 903.65ab 2,950.6a 1,168.2 4,985.6a 503.27a 1,199.14ab 450.01ab 2,096.5a 1.797 2.192b 2.59ab 2.387
210 932.15a 2,809.3a 1,139.3 4,762.9a 497.07a 1,311.23a492.03a2,155.9a 1.900 2.147b 2.31b 2.225
SE 11.5 29.47 24.40 85.35 5.93 10.01 20.97 24.83 0.069 0.121 0.281 0.100
a, b Within the same column, means with different letters are significantly different (p<0.05).

Salari et al. (2009) Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 22(4):557-564
562
and feed consumption were not affected by the SFS level of
inclusion. They also indicated, better feed conversion ratio
in groups fed 15 or 20% SFS in both broiler starter and
finisher diets than in the control group and the mortality
rate was not influenced by the SFS inclusion.
Physiological effects
The results of feeding increasing levels of FFSS to
chicks on digestive enzyme activities are shown in Table 7.
The activities of both protease and amylase in chick digesta
were not significantly affected by the experimental diets.
These results were similar to the results of Arija et al.
(1998) that used various levels of FFSS in the diets.
Results of the relative weight of the different organs are
shown in Table 8. The relative weight of the gizzard, thigh,
and gastrointestinal tract were not affected by the FFSS.
However, the relative weight of liver was decreased
significantly (p<0.05) in birds fed FFSS diets compared to
those fed control diet. Similarly, Cheve-Isarakul and
Tangtaweewipat (1990) reported that percentage liver
decreased by adding FFSS to the diets. This might be due to
the nature of fat in SFS, which is composed mainly of
unsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid, because
this fatty acid prevented fat accumulationin the liver. This
suspected effect of linoleic acid agrees with the results of
Donaldson and Gordon (1960) and Menge (1967) in laying
hens, and Morton and Horner (1961) in rats. But in another
experiment, liver weight improved while metabolisable
energy intake increased in the diets (Shyam Sunder et al.,
2007). In our experiment, the lower abdominal fat pad and
the larger breast muscle resulted while the levels of FFSS
increased, but these effects were not significant. This effect
is in accordance with the results of Tang et al. (2007) that
weight of breast muscle did not influence while energy of
diets increased. A similar finding has also been reported for
female broilers that were fed sunflower oil for 32 d (Sanz et
al., 2000). Abdominal fat pad has been shown to be highly
correlated with the total fat content of both the carcass and
the edible meat of chickens (Becker et al., 1979; Akiba et al.,
1995). Thus the reduction in the abdominal fat pad for the
broilers fed the FFSS diets presumably reflects a lower total
body fat content, and demonstrates the importance of fatty
acids in modulating body fat. In addition, the lower fat pad
in chickens consuming FFSS was associated with an
increase in lipid oxidation (Ronald et al., 2002). This
finding is consistent with the results showing preferential
mobilization and/or oxidation of more unsaturated lipids
(Halminski et al., 1991; Raclot and Groscolas, 1993).
Effects of various levels of FFSS in the blood
parameters of broiler chicks were shown in Table 9. The
plasma triglyceride concentrations tended to be lower in the
Table 9. Effects of increasing levels of FFSS on blood parameters of broiler chickens in 28 days of age
Level of FFSS
(g/kg)
Glucose
(mg/dl)
Cholesterol
(mg/dl)
Triglycerides
(mg/dl)
Calcium
(mg/dl)
Phosphorous
(mg/dl)
Alkalin
phosphatase
(U/L)
HDL
(mg/dl)
LDL
(mg/dl)
Protein
(g/dl)
0 268.2 102.5 99.2 13.8 7.9 120.9 81.0 36.0 3.5
70 261.7 102.5 92.5 14.9 7.3 127.3 82.2 31.5 3.9
140 268.7 117.7 78.7 16.6 8.3 127.5 95.7 37.5 3.8
210 262.5 116.2 68.7 18.7 8.4 130.2 96.0 29.7 3.4
Probability NS NS NS NS NS NS NS NS NS
SE 1.03 2.08 2.87 1.78 1.02 2.03 2.05 2.02 0.08
a, b Means without a common superscript in a column differ significantly (p≤0.05).
Table 7. Effect of increasing levels of full-fat sunflower seed
(FFSS) on digestive enzyme activities in the digesta of 4-week
old broiler chicks
Level of FFSS (g/kg) α-Amylase2 Protease1
0 357 3,420
70 271 3,135
140 276 3,630
210 299 4,155
SE 18.7 45.05
a, b Within the same column, means with different letters are significantly
different (p<0.05).
1 One unit of protease activity on azocasein was defined as amount of the
enzyme required to produce an absorbance change of 1.0 at 440 nm/min
at 55°C and pH 8.
2 One unit of enzymatic activity is defined as the amount of enzyme
required to produce 1 μM of glucose per minute under assay conditions.
Table 8. Effects of feeding different levels of full-fat sunflower seed on relative weight of body organs of chicks at 49 days of age (% o
f
live body weight)
Level of FFSS (g/kg) Breast Thigh Gastrointestinal tract Liver Gizzard Abdominal fat
0 17.79 10.38 12.92 3.05a 2.86 2.09
70 18.68 9.14 15.57 2.30b 3.15 1.19
140 21.10 9.52 13.93 2.39b 3.09 1.56
210 20.08 10.31 12.41 2.05b 2.68 0.68
SE 0.712 0.212 0.728 0.261 0.336 0.105
a, b Within the same column, means with different letters are significantly different (p<0.05).

Salari et al. (2009) Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 22(4):557-564
563
birds fed increasing levels of FFSS, but this effect was not
significant. This result is in agreement with the results of
Ronald et al. (2002) and Sanz et al. (2000). The decrease in
plasma triglycerides in the chickens fed FFSS diets may
also be a response to the action of specific fatty acids to
stimulate enzymes of the β-oxidative pathway. In addition,
sunflower oil feeding stimulates the activity of both
carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 and S-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA
dehydrogenase in chickens (Sanz et al., 2000). Thus, an
increase in carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 activity would
render fatty acids more available for β-oxidation. Other
factors including glucose, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL,
alkaline phosphatase, protein, calcium and phosphorus were
not significantly affected by the level of FFSS inclusion.
Although a small reduction in LDL and an increase in HDL
observed. Since higher dietary fiber content is known to
reduce dietary fat utilization by decongugation of bile salts
(Story and Kritchevsky, 1976; Story and Furumoto, 1990)
which might have reduced fat absorption through the gut,
the body fat (liver fat) might have been utilized for the
metabolic needs and therefore increased the HDL
concentration in serum. A similar trend was observed in the
study of Rama Rao et al. (2004) where the serum
concentrations of LDL cholesterol decreased in birds
receiving high-fiber diets. Selvaraj et al. (2004), using the
inclusion of various levels of FFSS in broiler rations,
reported not significantly effect on serum parameters of
poultry. Cheve-Isarakul and Tangtaweewipat (1991) showed
the incorporation of SFS in the diets had no effect on serum
cholesterol levels.
CONCLUSION
FFSS was proven as a good source of CP and ME in
broiler diets. The results from the current experiments
indicated that substitution of FFSS for corn, soybean meal
up to 210 g/kg of diet had positive effect on performance
parameters and did not have any adverse effect on other
parameters of broiler chickens.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors thank SEGOL factory (Nishabour, Iran) for
supplying the full-fat sunflower seed used in this study.
Special thanks are also extended to the Excellent Center of
Animal Sciences in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
(FUM), (Mashhad, Iran) for financial help.
REFERENCES
Ajuyah, A. O., T. W. Fenton., R. T. Hardin and J. S. Sim. 1993.
Measuring lipid oxidation volatiles in meats. J. Food Sci. 58:
270-273.
Akiba, Y., H. Murakami and J. H. Park. 1995. The effects of
dietary lipid on poultry performance and composition. Austr.
Poult. Sci. Symp. 7:1-8.
Arija, I., A. Brenes, A. Viveros and R. Elices. 1998. Effects of
inclusion of full-fat sunflower kernels and hulls in diets for
growing broiler chickens. Anim. Feed Sci. Tech. 70:137-149.
Association Of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). 1995.
Official methods of analysis, 16th. ed. Washington, DC, AOAC.
Becker, W A., J. V. Spencer, L. W. Mirosh and J. A. Verstrate.
1979. Prediction of fat and fat free live weight in broiler
chickens using backskin fat, abdominal fat, and live body
weight. Poult. Sci. 58:835-842.
Blair, M. E. and L. M. Potter. 1988. Effects of varying fat and
protein in diets of growing large white turkeys. 1. Body
weights and feed efficiencies. Poult. Sci. 67:1281-1289.
Cheva-Isarakul, B. and S. Tangtaweewipat. 1991. Effect of
different levels of sunflower seed in broiler rations. Poult. Sci.
70:2284-2294.
Crum, C. W., J. M. Prescott and P. J. Christensen. 1993. Genetic
approaches to increased nutritional value in oilseed meal. Proc.
World Confr. Oilseed. Tech. Utili., Appelwhite, ed. AOAC
Press, Champaign, IL. 334-338.
Daghir, N. J., M. A. Raz and M. Uwayjan. 1980. Studies on the
utilization of full fat sunflower seed in broiler ration. Poult. Sci.
59:2273-2278.
Donaldson, W. E. and C. D. Gordon. 1960. The effect of 3% added
animal fat on laying hen performance. Poult. Sci. 39:583-587.
Doumas, B. T., W. A. Watson and H. G. Biggs. 1971. Albumin
standard and the measurement of serum albumin with
bromocresol green. Clin. Chem. Acta, 31:87.
Elangovan, A. V., S. V. S. Verma and V. R. B. Sastry. 2000.
Response of growing and laying Japanese quails (Coturnix
japonica) to dietary sunflower seed meal. Asian-Aust. J. Anim.
Sci. 13(12):1726-1730.
Eluzubeir, E. A. and M. A. Ibrahim. 1991. Effect of dietary full fat
raw sunflower seed on performance and carcass skin color of
broilers. J. Sci. Food Agr. 55:479-481.
Fiske, C. H. and Y. Subbarow. 1925. The colorimetric
determination of phosphorus. J. Biol. Chem. 66:375-400.
Fossati, P. and P. Lorenzo. 1982. Serum triglycerides determined
colorimetrically with an enzyme that provides hydrogen
peroxide. Clin. Chem. 28:2007-2010.
Grundy, S. M. 1986. Comparison of monounsaturated fatty acids
and carbohydrates for lowering plasma cholesterol. New Engl.
J. Med. 314:745-748.
Halminski, M. A., J. B. Marsh and E. H. Harrison. 1991.
Differential effects of fish oil, sunflower oil and palm oil on
fatty acid oxidation and glycerolipid synthesis in rat liver. J.
Nutr. 121:1554-1561.
Hill, F. W. and D. N. Anderson. 1958. Comparison of
metabolizable energy and productive energy determinations
with growing chicks. J. Nutr. 64:587-603.
Meng, H. 1967. Fatty acid composition and weight of organs from
essential fatty acid-deficient and non-deficient hens. J. Nutr.
92:148-152.
Morton, R. A. and A. A. Horner. 1961. Liver-lipid constituents of
male and female rats. Biochem. J. 79:631-635.
Najafi, M. F., D. N. Deobagkar, M. Mehrvarz and D. D.
Deobagkar. 2006. Enzymatic properties of a novel highly

Salari et al. (2009) Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 22(4):557-564
564
active and chelator resistant protease from a Pseudomonas
aeruginosa PD100. Enzyme Microb. Tech. 39:1433-1440.
Najafi, M. F., D. Deobagkar and D. Deobagkar. 2005. Purification
and characterization of an extracellular α-amylase from
Bacillus subtilis AX20. Protein Expres Purif. 41:349-354.
National Research Council 1994. Nutrient Requirements of
Poultry. 9th rev. ed. National Academy Press, Washington, DC,
USA.
Raclot, T. and R. Groscolas. 1993. Differential mobilisation of
White adipose tissue fatty acids according to chain length,
unsaturation and posicional isomerism. J. Lipid Res. 34:1515-
1526.
Rama Rao, S. V., M. V. L. N. Raju, M. R. Reddy and A. K. Panda.
2004. Replacement of yellow maize with pearl millet
(Pennisetum typhoides), foxtail millet (Setaria italica) or
finger millet (Eleusine coracana) in broiler chicken diets
containing supplemental enzymes. Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci.
17:836-842.
Roche, H. M. 2001. Olive oil, high-oleic sunflower oil and CHD.
Br. J. Nutr. 85:3-4.
Rodrıguez, M. L., L. T. Ortiz, C. Alzueta, A. Rebole and J.
Trevin˜o. 2005. Nutritive value of high-oleic acid sunflower
seed for broiler chickens. Poult. Sci. 84:395-402.
Rodrı´guez, M. L., L. Ortiz, T. J. Trevin, O. Rebole, A. Alzueta
and C. Centeno. 1998. Studies on the nutritive value of fullfat
sunflower seed in broiler chick diets. Anim. Feed Sci. Tech.
71:341-349.
Ronald, E. Newman, Wayne L. Bryden, Eva Fleck, John R. Ashes,
William A. Buttemer, Leonard H. Storlien and Jeffery A.
Downing. 2002. Dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acids alter avian
metabolism: metabolism and abdominal fat deposition. Br. J.
Nutr. 88:11-18.
Sandler, S. R. and W. Karo. 1992. Source book of advances
organic laboratory preparations. San Diego: Academic Press,
pp. 332.
Sanz, M., C. J. Lopez-Bote, D. Menoyo and M. Baautista. 2000.
Abdominal fat deposition and fatty acid síntesis are lower and
β-oxidation is higher in broiler chickens fed diets containing
unsaturated rather than saturated fat. J. Nutr. 130:3034-3037.
SAS Institute. 1999. SAS User’s Guide: Statistics (Cary, NC, SAS
Institute Inc.).
Selvaraj, R. K. and M. R. Purushothaman. 2004. Nutritive value of
full-fat sunflower seeds in broiler diets. Poult. Sci. 83:441-446.
Shyam Sunder, G.., Ch. Vijaya Kumar, A. K. Panda, M. V. L. N.
Raju, S. V. Rama Rao, N. C. S. Gopinath and M. R. Reddy.
2007. Restriction of metabolizable energy in broiler growers
and its impact on grower and breeder performance. Asian-Aust.
J. Anim. Sci. 20(8):1258-1265.
Simon, O., H. Gruppen, H. L. Classen, W. Close, N. Khan, T.
Acamovic, B. V. McCleary, A. Morgan and D. Cowan. 1996.
Enzyme in action. World Poultry-Misset 12:62-71.
Story, J. and E. J. Furumoto. 1990. Dietary fiber and bile acid
metabolism. In: Dietary fiber (Ed. D. Kritchevsky, C. Bonfield,
and J. W. Anderson). Plenum Press, New York, NY, pp. 365-
373.
Story, J. and D. Kritchevsky. 1976. Dietary fibers and lipid
metabolism. In: Fiber in human Nutrition (Ed. G. A. Spiller
and R. J. Amen) Plenum, New York, pp. 171-184.
Tang, M. Y., Q. G. Ma, X. D. Chen and C. Ji. 2007. Effects of
dietary metabolizable energy and lysine on carcass
characteristics and meat quality in arbor acres broilers. Asian-
Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 20(12):1865-1873.
Vaughan, J. G. 1970. The structure and utilization of oil seeds.
London. Chapman and Hall.
Zlatkis, A., B. Zak and A. J. Boyle. 1953. A new method for the
direct determination of serum cholesterol. J. Lab Clin. Med.
41:486-492.