Haematologic aspects of arsenic intoxication with and without supplemental methionine and betaine in layer chicken

The experimental groups, each having three replicates with 10 birds (9 hens, 1 cock) per replicate. The experimental groups were control (C) - provided basal diet without arsenic, treatment 1 (T₁) - birds were offered basal diet with 5.5 ppm arsenic (As) through water, treatment 2 (T₂) birds were offered basal diet with 5.5 ppm As through water and 50g methionine was added in excess amount for 100 kg of feed and treatment 3 (T₃) - offered 5.5 ppm As through water and 25g methionine + 25g betaine were supplemented in excess for 100 kg of feed. The hemoglobin level was depleted significantly in T₁ group than C, T₂, and T₃ groups. Packed cell volume, total erythrocyte count, total leukocytes count. Heterophil % lymphocyte % and heterophil- lymphocyte ratio were also differed significantly among the groups. But erythrocyte sedimentation rate, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, total erythrocyte count, lymphocyte %, monocyte % etc. did not vary significantly among the groups. So it can be concluded that arsenic intoxication has some deleterious effects on haematological systems which varied defending on haematological parameters and this deleterious effects were minimized due to supplementation of methionine and betaine in feed.