Abstract
Arbor Acres broiler chickens (N=288) with an average initial weight of 59.4 g were fed diets varying in protein and lysine (80, 100, 120% of NRC; 100, 120% of NRC, 1984) in order to investigate the effects of supplemental chromium picolinate on growth performance, nutrient utilizability, carcass composition, serum traits and in vitro protein synthesis. Six replicates of eight chicks were grouped into one treatment Six chicks were sacrificed from each treatment for carcass analysis, and six additional chicks were chosen and dissected for in vitro culture of liver tissue. Body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, mortality, carcass composition and serum glucose, HDL/cholesterol ratio, serum triglyceride and serum nonesterified fatty acid appeared to be affected by either the level of dietary crude protein or lysine when supplemented with 200 ppb chromium picolinate (p < 0.05). Retained and secreted proteins in liver acinar cell cultured in vitro were not affected by dietary lysine level but affected by dietary protein level when added with 200 ppb chromium picolinate.