Effect of fennel essential oil on performance, serum biochemistry, immunity, ileum morphology and microbial population, and meat quality of broiler chickens fed corn or wheat-based diet

Replacement of Corn with Different Levels of Wheat Impacted the Growth Performance, Intestinal Development, and Cecal Microbiota of Broilers

Replacing corn with different levels of wheat in the iso-energy and -protein diet of broilers and the impacts on growth performance and intestinal homeostasis of broilers under the condition of supplying the multienzyme complex were evaluated in this study. A total of 480 10-day-old male broilers were assigned randomly to the low-level wheat group (15% wheat and 35.18% corn), the medium-level wheat group (30% and 22.27%), and the high-level wheat group (55.77% wheat without corn) until 21 d. The different levels of wheat supplementation did not affect hepatic function, serum glycolipid profile, or bone turnover. The replacement of corn with 55% wheat in the diet of broilers increased the body weight at 21 d and feed intake during 10 to 21 d (both p < 0.05), with a comparable feed conversion ratio. Compared with the low-wheat group, the dietary addition of medium or high wheat levels notably increased the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the duodenum (p < 0.05) and the ileal villus height (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the supplementation of medium and high wheat in the diet increased the proportion of Bacteroidetes, and a diet with high wheat proportion elevated the content of Firmicutes when compared to the low-level wheat group (both p < 0.05). In addition, the diet containing 30-55% wheat enhanced the anti-inflammatory capability in both the ileum and the serum. These findings suggest that the replacement of corn with 55% wheat in the diet improved the growth performance of 21-day-old broilers, which might be linked to the alteration in intestinal morphology and cecal microbiota.

Impact of Nanoencapsulated Rosemary Essential Oil as a Novel Feed Additive on Growth Performance, Nutrient Utilization, Carcass Traits, Meat Quality and Gene Expression of Broiler Chicken

This study evaluated the effect of free and nanoencapsulated rosemary essential oil (REO) as an antibiotic alternative in broiler diets on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass traits, meat quality and gene expression. Four hundred twenty day-old commercial broiler chicks (VENCOBB) were randomly allocated to seven dietary treatments, each having four replicates of fifteen chicks. The dietary treatments comprised control (CON) fed a basal diet only, AB (basal diet + 10 mg enramycin/kg), CS (basal diet + 150 mg chitosan nanoparticles/kg), REOF100 and REOF200 (basal diet + 100 mg and 200 mg free REO/kg, respectively), and REON100 and REON200 (basal diet + 100 mg and 200 mg nanoencapsulated REO/kg, respectively). Overall (7-42 d), REON200 showed the highest (p < 0.001) body weight gain (1899 g/bird) and CON had the lowest gain (1742 g/bird), while the CS, REOF100 and REOF200 groups had a similar gain, but lower than that of the AB and REON100 groups. Feed intake was not affected by dietary treatments. Overall, the feed efficiency increased (p = 0.001) by 8.47% in the REON200 group and 6.21% in the AB and REON100 groups compared with the CON. Supplementation of REO improved (p < 0.05) dry matter and crude protein digestibility, with the highest values in REON100 and REON200. Ether extract, crude fiber, calcium and phosphorus digestibility values showed no difference among the groups. The dressing, breast, thigh % increased (p < 0.05) and abdominal fat % decreased (p < 0.001) more in the REON200 group than with other treatments and CON. In breast meat quality, water holding capacity and extract reserve volume increased (p < 0.05) while drip loss and cholesterol content decreased (p < 0.05) in REON100 and REON200. No change was observed in the breast meat color among dietary treatments and CON. The REON100 and REON200 groups had reduced (p < 0.05) meat lipid peroxidation as depicted by the decreased levels of TBARS, free fatty acids and peroxide value compared to other treatments and CON. The expression of the Mucin 2, PepT1 and IL-10 genes was upregulated (p < 0.001) and TNF-α downregulated (p < 0.001) by dietary addition of REO particularly in the nanoencapsulated form compared with the CON. In conclusion, nanoencapsulated REO, especially at 200 mg/kg diet, showed promising results as an antibiotic alternative in improving the performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass traits, meat quality and upregulation of growth and anti-inflammatory genes.

Different fat-to-fiber ratios by changing wheat inclusion level impact energy metabolism and microbial structure of broilers

Introduction

Dietary nutrient content is crucial for energy metabolism and development of gut microbiota. Herein, this study aimed to explore the effects of fat-to-fiber ratios on nutrient transporter, energy metabolism and gut microbiota when ingredients composition was altered.

Methods

A total of 240 as-hatched broiler chickens were randomly assigned into three groups including low fat-high dietary fiber (LF-HD), medium fat-medium dietary fiber (MF-MD) and high fat-low dietary fiber (HF-LD), with diets being iso-protein, and broilers were offered the same commercial diets from 21 to 42 d. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA of SPSS.

Results and Discussion

Results showed that HF-LD diet significantly increased glucose content and decreased triglyceride in serum of broilers (p < 0.05). The mRNA abundance of jejunal gene involved in glucose transporter and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle was significantly increased in broilers fed with HF-LD diets. Compared with LF-HD, HF-LD had a lower abundance of Anaerofilum and CHKCI001, and an increased proportion of beneficial bacteria such as Alistipes, Catenibacillus, Intestinimonas, Lactobacillus, and Peptococcus (p < 0.05). Functional prediction of these microbial changes indicated that HF-LD diet drove caecal microbiota to participate in carbohydrate metabolism and TCA cycle (p < 0.05). Dietary HF-LD-induced microbiota changes were positively correlated with growth performance of broilers (p < 0.05). Therefore, HF-LD diet increased glucose transporters and energy metabolism in intestine and shaped microbial structure and metabolic pathways, which may benefit the growth performance of broilers.

Does dietary supplementation with lettuce seed oil enhance broiler performance, immunity, lipid profile, liver and kidney functions, antioxidant parameters, and intestinal microbiota?

The aim of this research was to evaluate the influence of lettuce seed oil (LSO) on the performance, carcass yield, kidney and liver indices, immunity, lipid profile, and cecal microbiota of fattening chicks. A total of 200, 7-day-old Cobb-500 were distributed into 5 experimental groups; each group contained 5 replicates with 8 birds each. The first group 1) the basal diet (only); 2) the basal diet plus lettuce seed oil (0.50 mL/kg); 3) the basal diet plus lettuce seed oil (1.00 mL/kg); 4) the basal diet plus lettuce seed oil (1.50 mL/kg); and 5) the basal diet plus lettuce seed oil (2.00 mL/kg). No significant effect was observed on growth performance, carcass traits, or kidney function at any level of oil. But, liver function was significantly affected due to LSO levels. Serum lipid profiles (total cholesterol-TC, triglyceride-TG, low-density lipoprotein-LDL, and very low-density lipoprotein-VLDL) were significantly reduced by using LSO levels compared to the control group. Dietary LSO significantly increased immunological and antioxidant parameters, except for malondialdehyde-MDA, which was reduced. On the other hand, the cecal microbiota was significantly improved by LSO additives. It was concluded that the dietary supplementation of LSO had beneficial effects on liver and kidney functions, lipid profile, immunity, antioxidant parameters, and the bacteriology of fattening chicks.

Dietary encapsulated fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) essential oil supplementation improves performance, modifies the intestinal microflora, morphology, and transcriptome profile of broiler chickens

Global antimicrobial resistance has led to a ban on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters (AGPs) in poultry farming, encouraging the use of natural phytogenic feed additives that provide similar effects to AGPs without causing resistance. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the addition of encapsulated fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) essential oil (FEO) into the diets on the performance, intestinal microflora, morphology, and transcriptomic profiling of broiler chickens. In the study, 400 one-d-old male chicks of the Ross-308 genotype were randomly distributed into five groups, each with 16 replicates of five birds. The experiment included a control group fed on basal diets without the addition of FEO and treatment groups supplemented with 50 (FEO50), 100 (FEO100), 200 (FEO200), or 400 (FEO400) mg of encapsulated FEO/kg. Body weight and the European Production Efficiency Factor values were higher in the FEO100, FEO200, and FEO400 groups (P < 0.05). The feed conversion ratio significantly improved at all FEO levels (P < 0.05). FEO supplementation improved duodenum, jejunum, and ileum morphologies. It enhanced mucosal layer thickness in the duodenum and jejunum, and muscular layer thickness in the jejunum and ileum (P < 0.05). It also increased the number of Lactobacillus spp. in the jejunum and ileum (P < 0.05). According to the transcriptome profile obtained from the microarray analysis of samples taken from small intestine tissues, the mRNA expression levels of 261 genes in the FEO50 group (206 upregulated and 55 downregulated), 302 genes in the FEO100 group (218 upregulated and 84 downregulated), 292 genes in the FEO200 group (231 upregulated and 61 downregulated), and 348 genes in the FEO400 group (268 upregulated and 80 downregulated) changed compared to the control group. Most upregulated genes were associated with catalytic activity, binding, transcription regulators and transcription factors, anatomical structure and cellular development, and protein binding activity modulators. The downregulated genes mostly belonged to the transporter, carrier, and protein-modifying enzyme classes. Besides, the anti-inflammatory IL-10 gene (4.41-fold) increased significantly in the FEO100 group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, FEO improved the performance of broiler chickens by regulating biological processes such as performance and intestinal health, with the 100 mg FEO/kg supplementation being the most prominent.

Effects of dietary essential oil supplementation on growth performance, carcass yield, meat quality, and intestinal tight junctions of broilers with or without Eimeria challenge

The effects of dietary supplementation of essential oil on growth performance, carcass yield, meat quality, serum antioxidant capacity, and intestinal tight junctions of broilers with or without Eimeria challenge were investigated. A total of 576 one-day-old male broilers were randomly separated into 8 treatments (6 replication floor-pens per treatment, 12 broilers per pen) in a 4 × 2 factorial design. The 4 diets consisted of 1) a corn and soybean meal basal diet, 2) an anticoccidial diet (60 g nicarbazin and 60 g narasin per ton of feed), 3) an oregano oil diet (500 ppm oregano oil), and 4) a clove oil diet (500 ppm clove oil). On d 10, half chicks were challenged with 1 × 104 sporulated oocysts of E. tenella, E. acervulina, and E. maxima per chick, whereas the others were inoculated with an equal amount of dilution (0.5 mL). The Eimeria challenge induced a higher fecal oocyst output on d 18, a lower duodenum Occludin expression level on d 28, a lower serum catalase level, and a higher cook loss and protein loss in thigh muscle on d 42. The anticoccidial diet lowered fecal Eimeria output and increased d 1 to 42 BW gain as compared to the control diet. The clove oil treatment enhanced duodenum ZO-1 expression level in nonchallenged birds, increased BW gain from d 1 to 14 and breast yield on d 42. The oregano oil treatment enhanced ZO-1 expression of challenged birds, reduced feed intake from 15 to 28 d, and helped broilers gain more tender meat. For those Eimeria-challenged broilers, both clove and oregano oil treatments recovered drip loss in breast muscle. Our results suggested that Eimeria challenge in broiler early age could interrupt later serum antioxidant capacity and damage meat quality. The dietary supplementation of clove or oregano essential oils could improve broiler growth performance and partially relieve the coccidial damage in gut integrity and meat quality.

Nutritional Strategies to Improve Meat Quality and Composition in the Challenging Conditions of Broiler Production: A Review

Poultry meat is becoming one of the most important animal protein sources for human beings in terms of health benefits, cost, and production efficiency. Effective genetic selection and nutritional programs have dramatically increased meat yield and broiler production efficiency. However, modern practices in broiler production result in unfavorable meat quality and body composition due to a diverse range of challenging conditions, including bacterial and parasitic infection, heat stress, and the consumption of mycotoxin and oxidized oils. Numerous studies have demonstrated that appropriate nutritional interventions have improved the meat quality and body composition of broiler chickens. Modulating nutritional composition [e.g., energy and crude protein (CP) levels] and amino acids (AA) levels has altered the meat quality and body composition of broiler chickens. The supplementation of bioactive compounds, such as vitamins, probiotics, prebiotics, exogenous enzymes, plant polyphenol compounds, and organic acids, has improved meat quality and changed the body composition of broiler chickens.

Dietary Soluble Non-Starch Polysaccharide Level Influences Performance, Nutrient Utilisation and Disappearance of Non-Starch Polysaccharides in Broiler Chickens

This study evaluated the effect of dietary soluble non-starch polysaccharides (sNSP) on performance and nutrient utilisation in broilers from d 0 to 35. Cobb 500 broilers (n = 480, 80 birds per treatment) were fed either wheat- or corn-soybean meal-based diets formulated to contain either a high, medium, or low sNSP content, in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement, fed as Starter (d 0−14) and Grower (d 14−35). Birds fed the low sNSP level presented greater BWG at d 0−14 and lower feed intake at d 14−35 compared to birds fed the medium sNSP level (p < 0.005). At d 14, birds fed the high sNSP level presented greater ileal and total tract starch digestibility and total tract sNSP degradability and insoluble NSP degradability, compared to feeding the low sNSP level. At d 35, total tract DM and metabolisability of gross energy was greater in birds fed the medium sNSP level compared to those fed the high or low sNSP level (p < 0.005). Generally, bird performance and nutrient utilisation was greater in birds fed the corn-based diets compared to the wheat-based diets. These results illustrate that dietary sNSP level and composition influences bird performance and nutrient digestibility.

Perspective, Opportunities and Challenges in Using Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) in Poultry Health and Production as an Eco-Friendly Alternative to Antibiotics: A Review

Following the European Union’s restriction on antibiotic growth promoters, research on enhancing gut health has been accelerated. As the poultry industry is facing issues that were previously managed by antimicrobial growth promoters, the hunt for the best remedies continues to find suitable alternatives. Simultaneously, social pressure is mounting to reduce the usage of antibiotics and replace them with other feed additives. Consumers believe a number of accessible options to be safe, with phytogenics playing a crucial role. This review describes how the use of fennel seeds could be beneficial for poultry. An overview of the broad chemical diversity of fennel is presented together with their physicochemical and biological properties. According to investigations, fennel seeds have a variety of biological effects in birds, including improved performance, higher immune cell proliferation, reduced oxidative stress, and boosted antibody titers against infectious diseases. The efficacy of poultry outcomes is determined by the stage and age of the plants, the extraction process, the geographical location, the chicken species, management techniques, and the concentrations administered. The present review focuses on the effects of fennel seeds as a feed additive on poultry growth, carcass quality, blood biochemistry, antioxidant activity, immunity, and microbiological aspects.