The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the effects of Punica granatum L. and Allium cepa L. peels aqueous and cyclodextrin extracts on broiler chicks’ performance and welfare status, as well as on the meat chemical composition and oxidative stability. A total of 120 one-day-old male Ross-308 chicks were randomly allocated to three treatments with four replicate pens (10 chicks per pen). Broiler chicks in the control group were fed typical commercial rations in mash form, based on maize and soybean meal. The rations of the other two treatments were further supplemented with the mixture of Punica granatum and Allium cepa aqueous and cyclodextrin extracts at the level of 0.1% of the feed, respectively. At the end of the trial (day 35), tissue samples were collected for analysis. Body weight (BW), feed intake (FI), average daily gain (ADG) and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the period of 1–10 days, 11–24 days, 25–35 days and 1–35 days were evaluated. Litter score, dry matter in litter, pododermatitis and feather score were also assessed at the end of the trial. Data were analyzed with ANOVA using SPSS v25 software. The results showed that BW, FI and FCR values did not differ among the groups. Scoring of pododermatitis, diarrhea, feather, fecal moisture, wooden breast and white stripping did not differ (p ≥ 0.05) among the groups. Punica granatum and Allium cepa aqueous and cyclodextrin extracts favorably affected (p < 0.05) meat composition, color parameters, TBARS and protein carbonyls. Diet supplementation also increased (p < 0.05) ∑n-3 fatty acids as well as ∑n-6 fatty acids in the thigh meat. The cis-4,7,10,13,16,19-Docosahexaenoic acid fatty acids in the breast meat of broilers fed with diets supplemented with the aqueous pomegranate and onion peel extracts were found to be higher (p < 0.05), while these fatty acids in the thigh meat were found increased (p < 0.05) in the cyclodextrin group. Aqueous and cyclodextrin pomegranate and onion peel extracts may provide a promising additive to the broilers diet with functional properties, in the absence of stressful conditions.
In the present study, an herbal feed additive was tested for partial-to-complete replacement of synthetic methionine in poultry diets, along with its effects on performance, breast and thigh meat chemical composition, oxidative stability during refrigerated storage and the expression of five target genes in liver. In a 35 days trial, 600 one-day-old male chicks were randomly allocated to 4 groups with 10 replicates. Birds in the control group were fed a regular maize–soybean-based diet that covered DL-methionine needs while the second group (Meth40) was similar to control but contained only DL – Methionine at 40% of control diet. Diet in third group contained DLMethionine at 40% of control and the herbal feed additive Methiorep TMMeth40+Mrep) with extracts of Boerhavia diffusa, Azadirachta indica, Vigna mungo and Trigonella foenum-graecum. Diet of fourth group was formulated to totally replace DL Methionine by Methiorep TM (Mrep). Body weight gain and feed consumption were weekly recorded. At the end of the trial, all birds were slaughtered and 2 chickens per pen were selected for meat and liver sampling. The liver was tested for the expression of five target genes, namely Methionine synthase (MTR), Tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT), Spermidine synthase (SMS), Methionine sulfoxide reductase (MSRB1) and Betaine homocysteine S-methyltransferase (BHMT). The results showed that the Meth40 group had reduced body weight compared to the Meth40+Mrep group while the Control and Mrep groups had comparable weights. Feed intake and feed conversion ratio did not differ among the experimental groups. Carcass, breast and thigh meat yield were higher in the Mrep and the Control compared to Meth40 and Meth40+Mrep groups. Also, meat oxidation was significantly lower in herbal groups compared to the control group. After normalization to β-actin expression, quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed an induction in the expression of MTR and SMS genes in the liver of both herbal treated groups. No changes were observed for the TAT, MSRB1and BHMT genes in the herbal treated groups compared to the control or the Meth40 group. In conclusion, herbal feed additives with specific plant extracts may be able to improve both growth performance and antioxidant activity of broiler chickens, phenolic content; yet, they may also support in amino acid efficient use of broiler.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.