Effect of Dietary Cysteamine Supplementation on the Performance and Serum Level of Somatostatin in Huainan Duck

A total of 200 one-day-old Huainan ducks were randomly allotted into 4 groups, were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0, 100, 200, 400 mg · kg-1cysteamine compound from 8 to 35 days of age, respectively. The effect of cysteamine on the performance and the serum level of somatostatin in ducks were observed. The results indicated that compared with the control group, both the final weight and the average daily gain increased significantly in the groups fed with cysteamine compound(P0.05). The growth performance was the best which the group fed with 200 mg · kg- 1cysteamine(P0.05). Furthermore, the somatostatin level in serum were all decreased in the groups fed with cysteamine, and the somatostatin level was lowest in the groups fed with 200 mg · kg-1cysteamine. These results indicated that diets supplemented with the appropriate dose of cysteamine can promote the growth performance in the duck, which might be mediated by somatostatin.