Organic sources of trace minerals (TM) in broiler diets are more bioavailable and stable than inorganic sources, making them particularly beneficial during challenging periods such as heat stress (HS) conditions. A 42-d study investigated the effects of using advanced chelate technology-based TM (ACTM) or adding varying amounts of ACTM to broiler diets during HS conditions. The study involved 672 male broiler chickens in 7 treatment groups, including a thermoneutral control (TNC) group and six HS treatments. There were 8 replicate pens per treatment and 12 birds per replicate. The six HS treatments included birds exposed to a cyclic HS environment (34°C) for 8 h and were as follows: HSC, which consisted of the same basal diet with the recommended ITM levels; ACTM50 and ACTM100, which replaced the basal diet with 50% and 100% ACTM instead of ITM; ITM+ACTM12.5 and ITM+ACTM25, which involved adding extra ACTM to the ITM basal diet at 12.5% and 25%, respectively; and ITM125, which used 125% of the recommended levels of ITM in the basal diet. Compared with the HSC treatment, the TNC, ACTM100, and ITM+ACTM25 treatments resulted in increased (P < 0.05) body weight; tibia weight; tibia ash, phosphorus, iron, and manganese contents; secondary antibody titers; and serum TAC and SOD values but decreased (P < 0.05) serum MDA concentrations and the expression levels of the hepatic genes IL-1β, IL-6, and INF-γ. The TNC and ACTM100 groups also showed greater (P < 0.05) feed efficiency, tibia length, tibia zinc content, and hepatic SOD1 expression but exhibited reduced (P < 0.05) hepatic NF-kB expression. Significant increases (P < 0.05) in primary anti-NDV titers, serum GPx1 activity, and Nrf2 and GPx1 gene expression levels were also detected in the ACTM100, ITM+ACTM12.5, and ITM+ACTM25 groups. In conclusion, the findings suggest that replacing ITM with ACTM or adding ACTM to ITM diets, especially at a 25% higher dose, can effectively protect broilers from heat stress by promoting growth, reducing inflammation, and increasing the expression of antioxidant proteins.
