Evaluation of Non-Fermented and Fermented Chinese Chive Juice as an Alternative to Antibiotic Growth Promoters of Broilers.

The present study explores the application of CC juice as a suitable feed additive and alternative to conventional antibiotics. We performed a comparative study to investigate the effects of non-fermented and fermented CC juice on broiler productivity, meat quality, blood characteristics, intestinal characteristics, and microbiota associated with intestinal characteristics. A total of 800 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly assigned to one of the four dietary treatment groups: (1) basal diet (negative control; NC); (2) basal diet + 0.01% enramycin (positive control; PC); (3) basal diet + 3% non-fermented CC juice (NCC; CC juice 10%, water 90%); and (4) basal diet + 3% fermented CC juice (FCC; CC juice 10%, water 90%, Lactobacillus plantarum SK4719). Feed and water were provided ad libitum. Intriguingly, all treatments showed similar results in terms of broiler productivity and chicken meat quality. Considering organ characteristics, the FCC group showed a low spleen weight and lower (p < 0.05) blood levels of AST and total cholesterol (TCHO). Regarding intestinal characteristics, the CC feed additive (NCC and FCC) resulted in a heavier intestinal weight (p < 0.05) without affecting the length ratio of the villi or the crypt compared to the control (NC or PC). NCC and FCC lowered the growth of intestinal pathogens (p < 0.01). In summary, the addition of FCC can maintain poultry health by improving blood compositions and inhibiting the growth of intestinal pathogens, leading to a productivity comparable to that of poultry treated with growth-promoting antibiotics.

Potential Probiotic Acceptability of a Novel Strain of Paenibacillus konkukensis SK 3146 and Its Dietary Effects on Growth Performance, Intestinal Microbiota, and Meat Quality in Broilers.

This study evaluates the in vitro probiotic characteristics of P. konkukensis sp. nov. SK-3146, which was isolated from animal feed, and its dietary effects on growth performance, intestinal characteristics, intestinal microbiota, and meat quality in broilers. In vitro experiments revealed that P. konkukensis was non-hemolytic with variable antibiotic susceptibility, and acid as well as bile tolerance. To assess the effect of P. konkukensis on broilers, a total of four hundred eighty 1-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were allocated to 3 treatment groups with 4 replicates of 40 birds each; the negative control group was fed a basal diet without any feed additives (NC), the positive control group was fed a basal diet containing 0.01% enramycin (PC), and the experimental group was fed a basal diet containing P. konkukensis bacterial culture (PK) at 104 CFU/g of the diet based on bacterial count. The experiment lasted for 35 days. Results indicated that there were no significant differences in any growth performance parameters among the dietary treatments (p > 0.05). In addition, the inclusion of P. konkukensis in the broilers' diet did not affect meat cooking loss, color, and pH but increased the relative weight of breast meat (p < 0.05). The PK group showed heavier intestinal weight and shorter intestinal length than the NC group (p < 0.05). The ratio of the intestinal weight to length of jejunum was the highest in the PK group (p < 0.05). The PK group showed increased counts of Streptococcus thermophilus (p < 0.05) with no adverse effects of P. konkukensis on other intestinal microbiota in the jejunum. This study implies that P. konkukensis might have the potential to be applied as a probiotic feed additive in poultry.

Feasibility of sodium long chain polyphosphate as a potential growth promoter in broilers.

The objective of this study was to evaluate in vitro antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity of sodium long chain polyphosphate (SLCPP) and effect of dietary supplementation of SLCPP on growth performance, organ characteristics, blood metabolites, and intestinal microflora of broilers. Antimicrobial activities of SLCPP were observed against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica ser. Pullorum, Shigella sonnei, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa in agar well diffusion assay. In addition, SLCPP demonstrated good anti-biofilm activity against K. pneumonia and P. aeruginosa. Furthermore, to investigate the dietary effect of SLCPP, a total of 480 1-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly allotted to three dietary treatment groups (4 replicates per group, 40 birds in each replicate): an antibiotic-free corn-soybean meal basal diet (NC); basal diet + enramycin 0.01% (PC); and basal diet + 0.1% SLCPP (SPP). The experiment lasted for 35 days. Results showed that birds fed with SLCPP had higher body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG), and lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the grower phase (days 7 to 21) (p < 0.05). Except for blood urea nitrogen, all other blood biochemical parameters remained unaffected by the dietary supplementation of SLCPP. Compared to the control group, lengths of the duodenum and ileum in the SPP group were significantly shorter (p < 0.05). Moreover, counts of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), total aerobes, and Streptococcus spp. in jejunum as well as LAB in cecum were increased in the SPP group than in the PC group (p < 0.05). These results suggest that dietary supplementation of SLCPP might promote the growth of broilers in their early growth phase.

Effect of dietary supplementation of a phytogenic blend containing Schisandra chinensis, Pinus densiflora, and Allium tuberosum on productivity, egg quality, and health parameters in laying hens.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the supplementary effect of a phytogenic blend (SPA: a mixture containing fermented Schisandra chinensis pomace, fermented Pinus densiflora needle extract, and Allium tuberosum powder in the ratio of 2:2:1) on egg production, egg quality, blood constituents, and visceral organs in laying hens. METHODS: A total of 135 Hy-line brown laying hens (48-wk-old) were randomly allocated to three dietary treatments with 5 replicates of 9 hens. The control group (CON) was fed a basal diet (no exogenous SPA addition) and the experimental groups were fed the basal diet containing SPA at the level of 0.1% and 0.3% for 6 weeks. RESULTS: The feed intake was significantly improved in SPA supplemented groups as compared with the control (p<0.05). However, egg production, daily egg mass, and feed conversion ratio were not different among the dietary treatments (p>0.05). For egg quality traits, only Haugh unit (HU) was significantly improved in SPA (0.3%) (p<0.05) as compared with other groups. However, HU was not affected during 4-wk of storage at 18°C among the dietary treatments (p>0.05). Furthermore, SPA supplementation did not affect the blood biochemical constituents except for the phosphate content, which was significantly higher in SPA groups than the CON group (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in visceral organ characteristics and immune indicators (immunoglobulin A [IgA], IgG, and IgM) in SPA or CON groups. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that the supplementation of SPA may have beneficial effects on feed intake and egg quality in laying hens.