The usage of fermented soybean meal (FSBM) in poultry feed is limited due to the high cost. The present study was conducted to examine the carcass traits and meat quality of broiler chickens that were fed diets with partial replacement of soybean meal (SBM) with FSBM. The 336 one-day-old chicks were assigned to four groups with 0% (control), 2.5%, 5.0%, and 7.5% FSBM addition in corn-SBM-based diets. Compared with the control, 2.5% and 5.0% FSBM decreased leg muscle yield, breast drip loss, and cooking loss (p < 0.05). The 7.5% FSBM increased the ultimate pH of breast and thigh muscles, and all FSBM treatments decreased muscle lightness and breast malondialdehyde content (p < 0.05). The 2.5% FSBM increased breast total superoxide dismutase activity, while 7.5% FSBM reduced breast hydrogen peroxide level (p < 0.05). All FSBM treatments elevated breast contents of bitter and sour tasting amino acids, and 2.5% and 7.5% FSBM increased breast glutamic acid and total free amino acids (p < 0.05). The 5.0% and 7.5% FSBM elevated thigh isoleucine and leucine contents (p < 0.05). In conclusion, FSBM replacing SBM affected meat quality with the decrease of lightness and increase of pH, water-holding capacity, antioxidant properties, and free amino acids.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LFB112 on the growth performance, carcass traits, immune response, and serum biochemical parameters of broiler chickens. A total of 396 1 day old, mixed-sex commercial Ross 308 broilers with similar body weights were allotted into six treatment groups. The assigned groups were the CON group (basal diet with no supplement), AB (antibiotics) group (basal diet + 150 mg of aureomycin/kg), C+M group (basal diet + 5 × 108 CFU/kg B. amyloliquefaciens LFB112 powder with vegetative cells + metabolites), C group (basal diet + 5 × 108 CFU/kg B. amyloliquefaciens LFB112 vegetative cell powder with removed metabolites), M group (basal diet + 5 × 108 CFU/kg B. amyloliquefaciens LFB112 metabolite powder with removed vegetative cells), and CICC group (basal diet + 5 × 108 CFU/kg Bacillus subtilis CICC 20179). Results indicated that chickens in the C+M, C, and M groups had higher body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) (p < 0.05) and lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p = 0.02) compared to the CON group. The C+M group showed the lowest abdominal fat rate compared to those in the CON, AB, and CICC groups (p < 0.05). Compared to the CON group, serum IgA and IgG levels in the C+M, C, and M groups significantly increased while declining in the AB group (p < 0.05). B. amyloliquefaciens LFB112 supplementation significantly reduced the serum triglyceride, cholesterol, urea, and creatinine levels, while increasing the serum glucose and total protein (p < 0.05). In conclusion, B. amyloliquefaciens LFB112 significantly improved the growth performance, carcass traits, immunity, and blood chemical indices of broiler chickens and may be used as an efficient broiler feed supplement.

Oleum cinnamomi (OCM) is increasingly used as a feed additive in animal diets. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with coated-OCM (cOCM) on the immunity and intestinal integrity of broiler chickens. A total of 396 one-day-old chicks were randomly assigned into six groups. The basal diets were supplemented with 50 mg/kg of flavomycin (positive control) as well as 0 (control), 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg of cOCM. Compared with the control, both positive control and cOCM treatments did not improve the growth performance. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig) Y levels were decreased by flavomycin and 50 mg/kg of cOCM treatments (p < 0.05). Dietary cOCM decreased ileal secretory IgA contents at d 21 and commonly down-regulated duodenal and ileal mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-8 at d 42 (p < 0.05). The 300 mg/kg of cOCM increased jejunal ratio of villus height to crypt depth and upregulated intestinal claudin-1 expression (p < 0.05). Jejunal (at d 21) and duodenal (at d 42) mucin-2 expression was up and downregulated by both 50 and 300 mg/kg of cOCM, respectively (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary cOCM addition helped to maintain noninflammatory states of humoral and mucosal immunity, and improved the intestinal integrity of broiler chickens.

α-Ketoglutarate (AKG) is an extensively used dietary supplement in human and animal nutrition. The aim of the present study was to investigate effects of dietary AKG supplementation on the energy status and anti-oxidative capacity in liver and intestinal mucosa of Cherry Valley ducks. A total of 80 1-day-old ducks were randomly assigned into four groups, in which ducks were fed basal diets supplemented with 0% (control), 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% AKG, respectively. Graded doses of AKG supplementation linearly decreased the ratio of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the liver, but increased ATP content and adenylate energy charge (AEC) in a quadratic and linear manner, respectively (P < 0.05). Increasing dietary AKG supplemental levels produced linear positive responses in ATP content and AEC, and negative responses in AMP concentration, the ratio of AMP to ATP and total adenine nucleotide in the ileal mucosa (P < 0.05). All levels of dietary AKG reduced the production of jejunal hydrogen peroxide and hepatic malondialdehyde (P < 0.05). Hepatic and ileal messenger RNA expression of AMP kinase α-1 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α were linearly up-regulated as dietary AKG supplemental levels increased (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary AKG supplementation linearly or quadratically enhanced hepatic and intestinal energy storage and anti-oxidative capacity of Cherry Valley ducks.

In this study, the yield of exopolysaccharide (EPS) from Lactobacillus plantarum R301 was optimized using a single-factor experiment and response surface methodology (RSM). After optimization, the EPS yield was increased with a fold-change of 0.85. The significant factors affecting EPS production, as determined through a Plackett–Burman design and Central Composite Design (CCD), were MgSO4 concentration, initial pH, and inoculation size. The maximum yield was 97.85 mg/mL under the condition of 0.01% MgSO4, an initial pH 7.4, and 6.4% of the inoculation size. In addition, the EPS exhibited strong antioxidant activity, as demonstrated by its ability to scavenge DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radicals. The scavenging rate was up to 100% at concentrations of 4 mg/mL, 1 mg/mL, and 2 mg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the EPS also exhibited reducing power, which was about 30% that of ascorbic acid when both tended to be stable with the increased concentration. These results suggest that L. plantarum R301 EPS possesses different antioxidant mechanisms and warrants further investigation. In addition to its antioxidant activity, the EPS also demonstrated good anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW 264.7 cells, which could decrease nitric oxide (NO) production and expression of the proinflammatory cytokine Il-6. These findings suggest that L. plantarum R301 EPS could be used as a potential multifunctional food additive in the food industry.