Effects of dietary supplementation with a combination of plant oils on performance, meat quality and fatty acid deposition of broilers

Phytobiotics in poultry: revolutionizing broiler chicken nutrition with plant-derived gut health enhancers

As the global population continues to expand, the demand for broiler chicken production to supply safe and high-quality meat is increasing. To meet this ever-growing demand, broiler chickens with enhanced growth performance are being developed, but they often face challenges related to oxidative stress, which can adversely affect gut health. Phytobiotics, which are plant-derived feed additives known for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, immune-modulating, and growth-promoting properties, have emerged as promising natural alternatives to synthetic antibiotics. This review consolidates recent advancements in the use of phytobiotics-derived products from leaves, roots, seeds, flowers, and their extracts in broiler diets reared under standard experimental conditions, without the introduction of stressors. The focus is on elucidating the key mechanisms through which phytobiotics improve gut health, including their effects on gut morphology, integrity, microflora composition, antioxidant capacity, and immune function. The review highlights the potential of phytobiotics to revolutionize broiler nutrition by acting as natural enhancers of gut health. Research findings reveal that phytobiotics significantly improve intestinal health, and boost growth performance, offering a sustainable approach to managing to gut dysfunction. These findings indicate a potential shift in how gut-health related challenges in broilers can be addressed, moving towards natural phytobiotic therapy. However, several challenges persist. Optimizing the dosage of phytobiotics, ensuring consistent performance, and overcoming the limitations related to their extraction and application are key areas requiring further investigation. The review emphasizes the importance of continued research to refine phytobiotic formulations, explore synergistic effects, and incorporate advanced technologies such as AI-driven methods and precision nutrition to tailor feeding strategies more effectively. Additionally, the development of innovative delivery systems, such as nanoencapsulation, is suggested as a way to enhance the effectiveness and reliability of phytobiotics. By highlighting the potential of phytobiotics to revolutionize broiler nutrition, this review supports the poultry industry's shift towards antibiotic-free and sustainable dietary solutions, offering new perspectives on the future of broiler chicken production.

Effects of including different levels of equal mix of soybean and flaxseed oils in Japanese quail diets on the growth, carcass quality, and blood biomarkers

Corn, the primary ingredient in modern poultry feeds, contains high levels of ω-6 fatty acids but lacks sufficient ω-3 fatty acids, creating an imbalance. Maintaining a balance between ω-6 and ω-3 fatty acids in poultry diets is crucial due to their competition. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of incorporating different concentrations of an equal mix of soybean oil (SO) and flaxseed oil (FO) into quail diets on growth performance, carcass quality, and blood biochemistry. One-week-old Japanese quail birds (n = 200) were randomly assigned to four dietary groups, each comprising five replicates with 10 chicks per replicate. Four isonitrogenous/isocaloric basal diets were formulated. Group 1 (control) received a basal diet without SO or FO, while Groups 2-4 received basal diets supplemented with an equal mix of SO+FO at levels of 1.0 %, 1.5 %, and 2.0 %, respectively. The inclusion of oil mixes significantly increased body weight (BW) at five weeks and daily weight gain (DWG) during weeks 3-5 and 1-5. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) improved with the addition of oil mixes throughout the trial period. Supplementing quail diets with oil mixes resulted in reduced serum total cholesterol (TC) and LDL cholesterol, elevated serum HDL cholesterol, and no significant effect on triglycerides (TG) and VLDL cholesterol levels. Quails fed oil-supplemented diets showed lower serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and creatinine levels, while urea and uric acid were significantly affected. Birds fed diets with oil mixes also had increased serum concentrations of immunoglobulin G (IgY), immunoglobulin M (IgM), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). However, serum immunoglobulin A (IgA), malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels did not significantly change across experimental groups. Overall, adding up to 2 % of the SO and FO mix in growing quail feeds improved growth performance, blood lipid profile, liver and kidney function markers, immune response, and antioxidant defense. The highest level of oil mix (2 %) yielded the most beneficial effects.

Integrated metabolomics and microbiome analysis reveal blended oil diet improves meat quality of broiler chickens by modulating flavor and gut microbiota

This study was to evaluate the effects of different dietary oils in chicken diets on meat quality, lipid metabolites, the composition of volatile compounds, and gut microbiota. Nine hundred female 817 crossbred broilers at one day old with an average body weight of 43.56 ± 0.03 g were randomly divided into five treatments, each consisting of 6 replicates of 30 birds. The control group received soybean oil (SO); other groups received diets supplemented with rice bran oil (RO), lard (LO), poultry fat (PO), and blended oil (BO), respectively. All diets were formulated as isoenergic and isonitrogenous. Compared with SO, RO decreased ADG and 42 d BW (P < 0.05). Compared with the RO, BO increased ADG and 42 d BW and decreased FCR (P < 0.05). Compared with SO, BO increased 24 h redness (a∗) value and reduced the malondialdehyde concentration (P < 0.05), and further improved drip loss of breast muscle (P > 0.05). The proportions of C18:0 and saturated fatty acid were the highest in LO, and the proportions of C16:1, C18:1, and monounsaturated fatty acids were the highest in BO. The content of C18:2, C18:3, and polyunsaturated fatty acids were the highest in SO. The contents of glyceryl triglycerides and total esters in BO were significantly higher than those in the SO and LO group (P < 0.05). There was a substantial increment in the relative abundance of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARα), acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (ACOX1), and carnitine palmitoyl-transferase 1 (CPT1A) transcripts in breast of chickens fed BO (P < 0.05). Further, dietary BO increased the relative cecal abundance of Firmicutes phylum, Ruminococcus_torques and Christensenellaceae _R-7 genera, and decreased that of Campylobacterota, Proteobacteria, and Phascolarctobacterium (P < 0.05). Genera g_Lactobacillus and Christensenellaceae _R-7 may mainly be involved in the formation of volatile flavor compounds in breast muscle. In conclusion, dietary BO improved the flavor of chickens by increasing the concentration of triglycerides and volatile flavor compounds, improving gut microbiota structure, and suppressing lipid oxidation. The potential positive effects of BO may be associated with the regulation of lipid metabolism.

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.

Growth performance, meat quality and hematological parameters of broiler chickens fed safflower seed

The aim of the current study was to determine the effects of dietary supplementation of safflower seed (SS) on the growth performance and hematological parameters of broiler birds along with the physicochemical, textural and sensory attributes of chicken meat. A total of 200 male chickens (7-days-old) were distributed into 5 groups (40 chickens in each) with 5 replicates of 8 chicks in a 42-day experiment. Each group was allocated to one of 5 dietary treatments, i.e., 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10% SS. The experimental diets were formulated for starter (7 to 21 days) and finisher (22 to 42 days) phases. Inclusion of SS in the diet improved growth performances in treatment groups between 7 and 42 days. The highest and lowest body weights were observed at the 5% SS and 0% SS levels, respectively. The physicochemical attributes of breast and thigh meat were found (P > 0.05) except for crude fat. The crude fat was significantly (P < 0.05) increased with increasing levels of SS in the diet. The inclusion of SS in the diet did not negatively impact the textural properties, i.e., hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess, chewiness, and shear force of breast and thigh meat. There was no significant difference in the sensory parameters of cooked chicken meat with increasing levels of SS in the diet. The results demonstrated a significant (P < 0.01) improvement in hematological parameters in the blood samples of broiler chickens fed diet supplemented with various levels of SS for five weeks. These findings suggest that, SS may be used as an oil seed for broiler chicken feed.

Multi-Omics Analysis of Genes Encoding Proteins Involved in Alpha-Linolenic Acid Metabolism in Chicken

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, ω-3) is an antioxidant that reduces triglyceride (TG) levels in blood, a component of cell membranes and a precursor compound of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, ω-3) and eicosatrienoic acid (DHA, ω-3). Fatty acid content is a quantitative trait regulated by multiple genes, and the key genes regulating fatty acid metabolism have not been systematically identified. This study aims at investigating the protein-encoding genes regulating ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content in chicken meat. We integrated genomics, transcriptomics and lipidomics data of Jingxing yellow chicken (JXY) to explore the interactions and associations among multiple genes involved in the regulation of fatty acid metabolism. Several key genes and pathways regulating ω-3 fatty acid metabolism in chickens were identified. The upregulation of GRB10 inhibited the mTOR signaling pathway, thereby improving the content of EPA and DHA. The downregulation of FGFR3 facilitated the conversion of ALA to EPA. Additionally, we analyzed the effects of ALA supplementation dose on glycerol esters (GLs), phospholipid (PL) and fatty acyl (FA) contents, as well as the regulatory mechanisms of nutritional responses in FFA metabolism. This study provides a basis for identifying genes and pathways that regulate the content of FFAs, and offers a reference for nutritional regulation systems in production.

Fat digestion and metabolism: effect of different fat sources and fat mobilisers in broilers diet on growth performance and physiological parameters – a review

Commercial broilers have a short production cycle and a high requirement for energy (3000 kcal/kg in starter phase and 3200 kcal/kg in finisher phase). Therefore, the need to add energy rich lipids to their diet is inevitable. Digestibility of fat depends on its multiple properties: chain length, the composition of fatty acids, ratio of saturated/unsaturated fatty acids and free fatty acids. The high cost of vegetable oils and less availability due to their consumption in human diet are the main reasons for searching cheaper alternative fat sources. Animal oils like poultry and fish oil are the by-product of rendering plants and after refining, they are used in poultry diets as an energy source. Due to presence of impurities and free fatty acids, the digestibility of animal fat is less. There is a limited amount of bile acids and lipase available during early age and when birds are reared on high energy diet (finisher phase). Supplementation of emusifier or lipase in broilers diet increase fat utilisation. Emulsifiers increase fat digestibility by increasing active surface area of lipid droplets. Lysolecithin and Lysophospholipids are produced from hydrolyses of lecithin and phospholipids by phopholipase A2. The bile acids mainly compose of cholic acid, hyodeoxycholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid and have strong emulsification properties. Triacylglyceryl acylase (lipase) is an enzyme involved in catalysis and the hydrolysis of lipids. It can be concluded that use of emulsifier and lipase in broilers diet improves growth performance, nutrient digestibility and intestinal histology in broilers.

Evaluating Rice Bran Oil as a Dietary Energy Source on Production Performance, Nutritional Properties and Fatty Acid Deposition of Breast Meat in Broiler Chickens

The effects of rice bran oil (RBO) as an alternative dietary energy source on nutritional properties and fatty acid deposition in broiler chickens are scarce in the literature. One-day-old chickens (broiler Ross 308) were assigned in a completely randomized design with three treatment diets and nine replicates of four chickens per replicate. A basal control diet contained 4~5% palm oil (T1) in the starter and finisher phases, respectively. Treatments 2 to 3 were fed diets formulated with 50% (T2) and 100% (T3) of RBO as a fat source instead of palm oil (PO). Replacing dietary PO with RBO improved the feed conversion ratio (FCR) by 6% (p = 0.017) over the total period of the experiment (1−38 d of age). The feeding of RBO (T3) showed the highest (p < 0.001) cooking loss values in the breast meat. However, compared with other groups, the blend of PO and RBO group (T2) displayed a lower cooking loss value in the thigh meat. In breast meat, the protein content was lowered (p = 0.007), while the fat content was higher (p < 0.001) in male broiler chickens fed dietary RBO (T2 and T3). Total inclusion of dietary RBO (T3) decreased (p = 0.034) the proportion of saturated fatty acids (ΣSFAs) but increased (p = 0.02) linoleic acid. In addition, α-linolenic acid (ALA) increased (p < 0.001) in male broiler chickens fed dietary RBO (T2 and T3), and the highest deposit level occurred by the total inclusion of RBO (T3). Total omega 3 fatty acids (∑n-3) increased (p = 0.013), while the ratio of n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) decreased (p = 0.046) in male broiler chickens fed dietary RBO (T3) as compared with the control diet (PO; T1). In conclusion, compared with dietary PO (control diet, T1), the total inclusion of dietary RBO at 50 kg/metric ton feed (T3) increased ∑n-3, ALA, and reduced n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio in the breast meat, but cooking loss values were larger in breast and thigh meats. The blend of dietary PO and RBO (T2) was better for both production performance targets (feed intake and FCR), cooking loss values, and deposition of ALA in the breast meat. The inclusion of dietary RBO into broiler diets needs further study, but the present experiment aids in expanding research knowledge to make that possible.

Dietary Forsythia suspensa extracts supplementation improves antioxidant status, anti-inflammatory functions, meat fatty acid deposition, and intestinal microbial community in finishing pigs

This study aimed to determine the effects of Forsythia suspensa extracts (FSE) on performance, antioxidant status, inflammatory cytokines, meat quality, meat fatty acid composition, and gut microbial community in finishing pigs. Sixty-four pigs [Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire)] with an average initial body weight of 88.68 kg were randomly allotted to two dietary treatments, with eight replicate pens per treatment (four pens were barrows and four pens were gilts), four pigs per pen. The dietary treatments included a corn-soybean meal basal diet (CON) and an FS diet (basal diet + 100 mg/kg FSE; FS). Compared with CON, pigs fed FSE showed enhanced (P < 0.05) saturated fatty acid (SFA)/polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio, reduced (P < 0.05) lightness, and n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio, as well as tended to increase C20:5n3 content in the longissimus dorsi muscle. Moreover, pigs fed FSE showed decreased (P < 0.05) serum cortisol and tumor nuclear factor-α contents, and increased (P < 0.05) serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase contents compared with CON. These pigs also tended to have increased serum total protein and immunoglobulin G contents, and decreased serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and interleukin-1β contents compared with CON. In the colon, pigs fed FSE had a higher (P < 0.05) relative abundance of Bifidobacteriales at the order level, Lactobacillaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae at the family level, as well as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium at the genus level compared with CON. In conclusion, dietary Forsythia suspensa extract supplementation effectively improved antioxidant status and anti-inflammatory functions, as well as modulated meat fatty acid composition, and gut microbial community in finishing pigs.

Effects of Dietary Essential Oils Supplementation on Egg Quality, Biochemical Parameters, and Gut Microbiota of Late-Laying Hens

The objective of this study was to explore the effects of adding essential oils (EO) to diets on egg quality, biochemical parameters and intestinal flora of late laying hens. The number of 252 Dawu Golden Phoenix laying hens (55 weeks old) were randomly sorted into two groups: the control group (CG) fed a basal diet and the EO group fed a basal diet with 300 mg/kg of essential oils. The average egg weight, feed-to-egg ratio, and egg production rate were determined every week. The trial started at week 55 and lasted for 8 weeks. During the experiment’s last week, 36 eggs out of each group were chosen at random to test. In our study, dietary supplementation with EO considerably decreased the egg breaking rate (p = 0.01) and increased the shell-breaking strength (p = 0.04). The treatment group’s alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were considerably lower than those of the control group (p = 0.03). The EO group had substantially higher total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) (p = 0.04 and p =0.03, respectively). However, there were no differences in alpha diversity indicators between the two groups. It is worth noting that Firmicutes were increased considerably (p < 0.05), while Spirochaetota and Proteobacteria were significantly reduced in the EO group. At genus levels, the EO supplementation increased the relative abundance of Intestinimonas (p < 0.05) and Megamonas (p < 0.01). In conclusion, a dietary supplementation of 300 mg/kg EO can improve the production performance of laying hens and the egg quality. It can also regulate the abundance of cecal flora and serum biochemical indicators.

Effects of dietary palm oil on broiler chicken productive performance and carcass characteristics: a comprehensive review

Palm oil is a natural energy source ingredient in poultry diets that offers a broad range of beneficial effects on the performance of broiler chickens. This review was conducted to highlight the impact of palm oil as a feed ingredient on growth performance and carcass quality, as well as the biochemical, antioxidant activity and tissue fatty acids (FA) composition of broiler chickens. Palm oil inclusion in broiler chickens' rations contributes significantly to the high metabolisable energy (ME) of feed formulation, increases feed palatability and decreases digesta passage rate in the intestine. The reviewed literature indicated that dietary palm oil has a beneficial effect on broiler chickens' overall growth performance traits. The addition of palm oil can also improve the heat tolerance of chickens reared in high ambient temperature conditions. Regardless of breed and breeding conditions, palm oil exhibits good oxidative stability in broiler chickens due to the presence of prevalent phytonutrient elements in this oil. The inclusion of palm oil increased palmitic (C_16:0) and oleic (C_18:1) acids in tissue deposits, which improves meat stability and quality. Moreover, molecular studies have revealed that higher mRNA expression of several lipid-related hepatic genes in broiler chickens fed palm oil. Nonetheless, dietary palm oil can influence FA deposition in tissues, modulate lipoprotein and triglycerides (TG) levels, and cytokine contents in the blood serum of broiler chickens.

Impact of both early-age acclimation and linseed dietary inclusion on fat deposition and fatty acids' meat traits in heat-stressed broiler chickens

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this work was to investigate the combination of early-age acclimation and linseed dietary inclusion in enriching polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in broilers' meat as a strategy to mitigate heat stress.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 400 broiler chicks were assigned to four experimental groups with four duplicates (25 animals each): C: control (basal diet), AC: early-age acclimated (basal diet), Cl: fed 5% ground linseed, and Acl: early-age acclimated and fed 5% ground linseed. The lipid and fatty acid contents of different parts (breast, thigh, liver, subcutaneous, and abdominal fat) of broilers were determined.

RESULTS

Low levels of lipids and unsaturated fatty acids have been found in the meat of acclimated broilers. Higher levels of linolenic acids were noted in Cl thigh meat compared to C (6% vs. 2.68%, respectively). The results showed that oleic and linoleic acids constitute a large part of the PUFAs of different meats. The most elevated levels of monounsaturated fatty acids were recorded in the breast meat of AcL animals. The highest content of omega-3 was recorded in the liver of AcL animals compared to that of C (14.98% vs. 7.8%, respectively).

CONCLUSION

We suggest that the combination of treatments during hot conditions has led to the reversion of the environment-affected variables to accepted values, and yields better thermoresistance, PUFA-enriched meat, and safeguard animal health which conferred to birds' better solutions to reduce fatigue and hypoxic activities, which induces a considerable consumption of oxygen.

Natural capsicum extract replacing chlortetracycline enhances performance via improving digestive enzyme activities, antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory function, and gut health in weaned pigs

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of natural capsicum extract (NCE, containing 2% natural capsaicin, the rest is carrier) replacing chlortetracycline (CTC) on performance, digestive enzyme activities, antioxidant capacity, inflammatory cytokines, and gut health in weaned pigs. A total of 108 weaned pigs (Duroc × [Landrace × Yorkshire], initial body weight = 8.68 ± 1.34 kg; weaned on d 28) were randomly allotted into 3 treatments with 6 replicate pens per treatment (3 barrows and 3 gilts per pen). The treatments include a corn-soybean meal basal diet as a control group (CON), a CTC group (basal diet + CTC at 75 mg/kg), and a NCE group (basal diet + NEC at 80 mg/kg). Compared with CON and CTC, NCE had increased (P < 0.05) average daily gain in phase 2 (d 15 to 28) and overall (d 1 to 28), and higher (P < 0.05) apparent total tract digestibility of gross energy, dry matter, crude protein, and organic matter in phase 1 (d 1 to 14). These pigs also had increased (P < 0.05) pancrelipase activity in pancreas, α-amylase, lipase and protease activities in the jejunal mucosa, and lipase activity in the ileal mucosa on d 28. Moreover, NCE had increased (P < 0.05) the contents of growth hormone, β-endorphin, 5-hydroxytryptamine, total antioxidant capacity, total superoxide dismutase, catalase, and IL-10, as well as decreased (P < 0.05) contents of malondialdehyde, tumor nuclear factor-α, interferon-γ, and interleukin-6 in serum on d 28 compared with CON and CTC. NCE showed higher (P < 0.05) propionic acid, butyric acid and total volatile fatty acids (VFA) contents, and increased (P < 0.05) relative abundance of Faecalibacterium in colon, as well as higher (P < 0.05) propionic acid and total volatile fatty acids in cecum on d 28 compared with CON. In conclusion, NCE replacing CTC could enhance performance via improving digestive enzyme activities, antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory function, gut VFA composition and microbiota community in weaned pigs, and it could be used as a potential target for the development of feed additives.

A comprehensive insight into the effects of microbial spoilage, myoglobin autoxidation, lipid oxidation, and protein oxidation on the discoloration of rabbit meat during retail display

The effects of the retail display temperature (8 °C, 3 °C and - 1 °C) on the discoloration of the Longissimus thoracis et lumborum of rabbits and the associations among such effects with microbial spoilage, myoglobin autoxidation, lipid oxidation, and protein oxidation were investigated. The total aerobic count, total volatile basic nitrogen content, metmyoglobin content, protein carbonyl content, and contents of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances steadily increased during retail display. Moreover, the lightness and redness of the rabbit meat significantly (P < 0.05) declined over time, whereas the yellowness increased considerably (P < 0.05) with prolonged retail time. Canonical correlation analysis suggested that microbial spoilage, myoglobin autoxidation, lipid oxidation, and protein oxidation jointly affected rabbit meat color. Linear mixed models further revealed that microbial spoilage, myoglobin autoxidation, lipid oxidation and protein oxidation positively affected yellowness, and they inversely impacted lightness and redness.

Growth Performance, Cytokine Expression, and Immune Responses of Broiler Chickens Fed a Dietary Palm Oil and Sunflower Oil Blend Supplemented With L-Arginine and Varying Concentrations of Vitamin E

This study set out to examine the combined effects of the supplementation of a dietary palm oil (PO) and sunflower oil (SO) blend, 0. 25% L-Arginine (L-Arg), and different levels of vitamin E (Vit E) on growth performance, fat deposition, cytokine expression, and immune response in broilers. A total of 216 1-day-old male broiler chicks (Cobb500) were randomly distributed into six dietary groups as follows: Diet 1: 6% palm oil (negative control); Diet 2: PO and SO blend (4% palm oil and 2% sunflower oil) + 0.25% L-Arg (positive control); Diet 3: (PO and SO blend + 0.25% L-Arg) + 20 mg/kg Vit E; Diet 4: (PO and SO blend + 0.25% L-Arg) + 50 mg/kg Vit E; Diet 5: (PO and SO blend + 0.25% L-Arg) + 100 mg/kg Vit E; and Diet 6: (PO and SO blend + 0.25% L-Arg) + 150 mg/kg Vit E. Weight gain and serum IgG and IgM increased while feed conversion ratio, fat deposition, and plasma cholesterol decreased in broilers fed Vit E with the oil blend and L-Arg, compared to those fed the negative control (Diet 1). Expression of IFN and TNF-α were reduced, whereas TGF-ß1 was up-regulated as the level of Vit E increased in the broiler diets. In summary, the combination of oil blend, L-Arg, and Vit E at a level of 50 mg/kg increased the performance and altered the expression of cytokines that may positively influence immune function in broiler chickens.

Effects of replacing dietary Aureomycin with a combination of plant essential oils on production performance and gastrointestinal health of broilers

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of replacing antibiotics with a combination of plant essential oils on the growth performances and gastrointestinal health of broilers. A total of 720 1-day-old male AA broilers were randomly divided into 3 treatments: the control treatment (CON), the Aureomycin supplementation treatment (AGP), and the combined plant oils supplementation treatment (POC), with a 42-D period feeding procedure. Growth performances, carcass performances, intestinal sections, and cecal microbiota were investigated. Results indicated that POC supplementation decreased the feed conversion ratio compared with CON and AGP treatments, though not significantly. No significant differences were found for feed intake, BW gain, and culling rate among the 3 treatments (P > 0.05). In addition, no significant differences were seen on carcass performance. For the aspects of intestinal section, POC supplementation did not make significant effects on intestinal wall thickness, villus heights, crypt depths, and the ratio of villus heights/crypt depths compared with CON and AGP treatments. Cecal microbiota results demonstrated that bacterial diversity and some representative probiotic bacteria were significantly increased in numbers (P < 0.05) after POC supplementation. In conclusion, the combination of essential oils promoted intestinal health through improving gut bacterial diversity and probiotic bacteria, as well as improving feed conversion ratio of broilers. These results indicated that the combination of essential oils may benefit the gastrointestinal health and be applied as an antibiotic alternative.