Feed enzymes, probiotic, or chitosan can improve the nutritional efficacy of broiler chicken diets containing a high level of distillers dried grains with solubles

Effects of high-level dietary distillers dried grains with solubles supplemented with multienzymes on growth performance, nutrient utilization, intestinal morphology, and pellet quality in broiler chickens

Background and Aim

With the increasing cost of bulk raw materials and advancements in the feed enzyme industry, corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) have shown more opportunities for use in broiler diets. Supplementation with multiple enzymes could mitigate anti-nutritional factors in DDGS, enhance nutrient digestibility, and thereby increase its utilization in broiler diets, leading to reduced feed costs. This study evaluated the effects of multienzyme supplementation on growth performance, nutrient utilization, intestinal morphology, and pellet quality in broiler chickens fed diets containing conventional levels of DDGS (C-DDGS) and higher levels of DDGS (H-DDGS).

Materials and Methods

A total of 800 1-day-old Cobb 500 chicks was assigned to four dietary treatments with eight replicates of 25 birds each: C-DDGS (5% DDGS in Starter and 10% in Grower), C-DDGS + Enzyme (C-DDGS diet supplemented with multienzyme), H-DDGS (10% and 20%) + Enzyme (H-DDGS diet supplemented with multienzyme, 10% DDGS in Starter and 20% in Grower), and H-DDGS (15% and 30%) + Enzyme.

Results

The C-DDGS + enzyme diet increased (p < 0.05) body weight gain (BWG), reduced the feed conversion ratio, enhanced (p < 0.05) digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein, and hemicellulose (HC), and improved (p < 0.05) intestinal villus height and villus: crypt ratio of broilers. The H-DDGS (10% and 20%) + enzyme diet exhibited no difference in (p > 0.05) growth performance, nutrient digestibility (except HC), and intestinal morphological parameters, whereas the H-DDGS (15% and 30%) + enzyme diet decreased (p < 0.05) feed intake and BWG and reduced (p < 0.05) energy and DM digestibility by impact (p < 0.05) intestinal morphology compared with the C-DDGS enzyme-free diet. The H-DDGS diet had lower (p < 0.05) pellet hardness and poorer durability than the C-DDGS diet.

Conclusion

Supplementing multienzyme in the C-DDGS (5% and 10%) diet improved growth performance from day 0 to 28 and diminished growth performance in the H-DDGS (15% and 30%) diet by influencing intestinal morphology and feed pellet quality in broiler chickens. In addition, when supplemented with multienzyme, the dietary DDGS level can be safely included at levels of 10% in 0-7 days and 20% in 8-28 days of age.

Effects of dietary supplementation of cobiotic based on Agave fructans on growth performance, blood parameters, oxidative damage and immune status of broiler

This study evaluated the effect of cobiotic (CO) composed of organic fructans powder of Agave tequilana and turmeric powder of Curcuma longa L. as an alternative of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) on growth performance, blood parameters, intestinal pH, oxidative stress, and cytokines serum levels of broiler chickens. A total of 135 one-day-old Ross 308 broilers distributed to five experimental groups, which included starter or finisher standard diets without AGPs (CON), CON + 0.25 COLI-ZIN g/kg feed (AGP), CON + 0.1 g Agave fructans/kg feed (AF), CON + 0.5 g turmeric powder/kg feed (TP) and CON + 0.1 g AF + 0.5 g TP /kg feed (CO), for 49 days. AF followed by TP, decreased feed intake, obtaining the best FCR. AGP increased the heterophil-lymphocyte ratio compared to other groups. CO significantly decreased the pH of the cecal content. AF increased IL-10 levels, while TP decreased it. AF decreased the IL-1β levels. The present study showed that including a cobiotic based on AF and TP or components separately in a broilers diet improved growth performance, modified intestinal and cecum pH, and stimulated the immune system, which suggests CO as a safe alternative to AGP.

Distillers dried grains with soluble and enzyme inclusion in the diet effects broilers performance, intestinal health, and microbiota composition

This study tested the effect of distillers dried grains with soluble (DDGS) inclusion in a broiler diet, with or without supplementation of exogenous enzymes, on the microbiota composition, intestinal health, diet digestibility and performance. A total of 288 one-day-old chickens was assigned to 6 treatments (8 replicate of 6 birds each) according to a completely randomized design with a 3 × 2 factorial scheme with 3 DDGS levels (0, 7 and 14%) and 2 inclusions of exogenous enzymes (with or without a multicarbohydrase complex + phytase [MCPC]). The results exhibited that DDGS inclusion up to 14% did not impair broilers performance up to 28 d, however, DDGS-fed animals exhibited significant improvement with the MCPC supplementation. No effects of the enzymes in the ileal digestibility were found at 21 d. DDGS inclusion in the diet affected dry matter and gross energy digestibility. Broilers fed diets with MCPC were found to have less intestinal histological alteration thus better gut health. No effect of DDGS, enzyme or interaction of those were observed for intestinal permeability and in the serum inflammatory biomarker (calprotectin) at 7 and 28 d. The increase of DDGS percentage in the diet reduced the diversity of the ileal microbiota but increased the cecal microbiota diversity. The inclusion of DDGS showed positive effects on microbiota composition due to a reduction of Proteobacteria phylum in the ileum at 28d and a reduction in the presence of Enterococcaceae family in the ileum at 14 and 28d. The inclusion of MCPC complex might promote beneficial changes in the ileal and cecal microbiota due reduce of Proteobacteria, Bacillaceae and Enterobacteriaceae. The supplementation of xylanase, β-glucanase, arabinofuranosidase and phytase to a DDGS diet improves performance and intestinal health allowing the use of these subproduct in the poultry nutrition.

Enzymatic complex for broilers fed on a diet containing different levels of Distiller Dried Grains with Solubles

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of an enzyme complex (carbohydrases, proteases and phytase) in diets formulated with DDGS inclusion levels (0 to 30%) in parameters of performance, nutrient digestibility and serum biochemical profile of broiler chickens from 1 to 42 days old. The inclusion of DDGS impaired the performance characteristics in all phases, but broilers feeding with diets containing up to 8% DDGS improves the percentage carcass. Addition of the enzyme complex improved feed conversion by 3.6% and percentage of breast by 1.6%. At 42 days of age, there was a linear decreasing effect of the addition of DDGS in the diets on the relative weight of PV + gizzard (proventriculum + gizzard). Diets without enzyme addition decreased IDCDM, IDCCP and IDCNDF. Inclusion of DDGS up to 8 % results in maximum percentage carcass. The use of exogenous enzymes improves FCR (feed conversion ratio) in the pre-initial phase.

Influence of Mushroom Polysaccharide, Nano-Copper, Copper Loaded Chitosan, and Lysozyme on Intestinal Barrier and Immunity of LPS-mediated Yellow-Feathered Chickens

This study investigated the influence of dietary supplementation with some antibiotic alternatives on growth performance, intestinal barrier, and immunity of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenged chicks. Wenshi females, aged 4 days, were allocated randomly into eight groups, each with six replicates of 20 birds (n = 120/treatment), which received a basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 0 (LPS), 200 mg/kg aureomycin, 50 mg/kg mushroom polysaccharide, 100 mg/kg mushroom polysaccharide, 500 mg/kg nano-copper, 300 mg/kg copper loaded chitosan, and 500 mg/kg lysozyme for 21 days. On day 18 and 20, the control birds were injected with 0.5 mL saline solution, the other treatments were injected with 0.5 mL saline containing 500 µg LPS/kg body weight (BW). The results indicated that LPS treatment reduced the BW, average daily gain (ADG), and daily feed intake (ADFI) than the controls (p < 0.05), and the antibiotic and the tested alternatives could not retrieve the normal BW, ADG, and ADFI. The tested additives reduced several negative effects of LPS; they reduced diamine oxidase activity and inflammatory mediators in plasma, jejunal mucosa, spleen and thymus, increased content of immunoglobulin in plasma and jejunal mucosa, and decreased gene expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and Cyclooxygenase 2 in jejunal mucosa.

The influence of selected feed additives on mineral utilisation and bone characteristics in laying hens

The trial with 240 caged ISA Brown laying hens was performed to evaluate the effect of selected feed additives on mineral utilisation as well as biomechanical (breaking strength, yielding load, stiffness) and geometrical (cortex thickness, cross-section area, weight, length) indices of tibia and femur bones. At 26 wks of age the layers were randomly assigned to 10 treatments with 12 replicates (cages) of two birds. In the study a 2 × 5 experimental scheme was used i.e. to 70 wks of age, the layers were fed isocaloric and isonitrogenous experimental diets containing reduced (3.20%) or standard (3.70%) Ca level. The diets with both Ca levels were either not supplemented, or supplemented with the studied feed additives i.e. sodium butyrate, probiotic bacteria, herbal extract blend and chitosan. There were no statistically significant effects of the experimental factors on the indices of the tibia bones. However, the diet with reduced Ca level decreased bone breaking strength, yielding load, stiffness, and mineralisation of the femur bones (P<0.05). The majority of used feed supplements, i.e. probiotic, herb extracts, and chitosan, increased biomechanical indices (breaking strength and yielding load) and mineralisation of the femur bones (P<0.05). Neither dietary Ca level nor feed additives affected dry matter, organic matter, ether extract, N-free extracts, crude fibre and ash digestibility, and P retention and excretion; however, Ca excretion and retention was lower in the hens fed the diets with reduced Ca level (P<0.05). Relative Ca retention (Ca retained as % of Ca intake) was improved by diet supplementation with probiotic, herb extracts and chitosan (P<0.05). In conclusion, this study has shown that decreased Ca dietary level (3.20%) can negatively affect bone quality in layers, while probiotic, herb extracts and chitosan addition may improve the selected biomechanical indices of the femurs, irrespective of Ca dietary concentration.

Effect of diet supplemented with propolis extract and probiotic additives on performance, carcass characteristics and meat composition of broiler chickens

The present research focused on the effects of propolis extract and probiotic preparation based on Lactobacillus fermentum (1 × 109 CFU per 1 g of bearing medium) on performance, carcass characteristics and meat composition of broiler chickens. The experiment was performed with 360 one day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks of mixed sex. The chicks were randomly allocated into 3 groups (n = 120 pcs chicks per group), namely, control (C) and experimental (E1, E2). Each group consisted of 3 replicated pens with 40 broiler chickens per pen. The experiment employed a randomized design, and dietary treatments were as follows: 1. basal diet with no supplementation as control (group C), 2. basal diet plus 400 mg propolis extract per 1 kg of feed mixture (group E1), 3. basal diet plus 3.3 g probiotic preparation added to drinking water (group E2). Besides, the groups were kept under the same conditions. Fattening period lasted for 42 days. Feed mixtures were produced without any antibiotic preparations and coccidiostats. As regards performance of broilers, all the investigated parameters were improved after addition of the supplements, especially after probiotic supplementation. However, neither propolis extract nor probiotic in diet of broiler chickens had any significant effect (p ≥0.05) on performance. Meat composition was evaluated as proximate composition (dry matter, crude protein, fat and ash), cholesterol content and energy value in the most valuable parts of chicken meat (breast and thigh muscles). The statistically significant results (p ≤0.05) were attained in fat, ash and cholesterol content, as well as energy value in both breast and thigh muscles after the propolis supplementation. To sum up, the present study demonstrated the promising potential of propolis extract and probiotic to enhance the performance, carcass characteristics and meat composition under conditions of the experiment with, however, statistical significance of results in a few parameters.