The effect of dietary n-6:n-3 ratio and sex on broiler breeder immunity

A study was conducted with male and female adult broiler breeders to determine the effect of feeding a fish oil supplement on selected immune activities. The fish oil was added to the diet such that the n-6:n-3 ratios could meet certain levels. Four hundred Ross 308 broiler breeder hens and 48 Ross 308 broiler breeder roosters at 30 wk of age were randomly assigned to diets containing 3.5% fat with n-6:n-3 ratios of 4, 6, 8, and 16. As a measure of cell-mediated immunity, thickness of the toe web was measured at 4, 8, 24, and 48 h after injection of phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) at 32 wk of age. Total antibodies were quantified 6 and 9 d after the injection of SRBC at 33 wk of age. Blood lymphocyte proliferation was assayed after in vitro stimulation with PHA-P at 34 wk of age. The fatty acid profile of the spleen was determined in roosters. The effects of dietary n-6:n-3 ratios on total antibodies and in vitro lymphocyte proliferation were not significant (P > 0.05). However, the birds fed diets containing an n-6:n-3 ratio of 8 showed the greatest toe web thickness (P < 0.05). Total antibodies in hens at 9 d after SRBC injection were significantly greater than those of roosters. Conversely, toe web thickness in roosters was greater than that of hens (P < 0.05). Although the increase in the dietary n-6:n-3 ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids significantly decreased the concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, total n-3 (P < 0.05), linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, and total n-6, the n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratios of the entire spleen were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Results indicated that under the conditions of this study, the n-6: n-3 ratios seemed to influence the toe web response to PHA-P, but not the antibody response or the cell proliferation response in vitro.