A STUDY OF THE ASSOCIATION OF GLUCOSINOLATES TO RAPESEED MEAL-INDUCED HEMORRHAGIC LIVER IN POULTRY AND THE INFLUENCE OF SUPPLEMENTAL VITAMIN K

Diets were formulated to contain variable amounts of intact glucosinolates (IG) and various aglucones: 1-cyano-2-hydroxy-3-butene (CHB); 5-vinyloxazolidine-2-thione (OZT); isothiocyanates (NCS); and inorganic thiocyanate (SCN) to study the relation of glucosinolates to rapeseed meal (RSM)-induced hemorrhagic liver (HL) in laying hens. The influence of supplemental vitamin K in alleviating the HL effect was also studied using broiler chickens and SCWL hens of an experimental strain. The results of the various experiments confirmed the fact that RSM feeding may cause liver damage and mortality attributable to HL as well as demonstrating that the mortality rate could be reduced markedly by the addition of supplemental vitamin K to the feed or drinking water. A clear cause and effect relationship between glucosinolates and HL was not evident. There was a consistent association, however, of a high diet content of IG and CHB with HL but only if these compounds were fed together as components of RSM. Intact glucosinolate fed as the major glucosinolate component of a diet did not increase the incidence of HL, and synthetic CHB added to a control diet did not cause HL.