Effects of Phytogenic Additives and Organic Acids, alone or in combination, on the Performance, Intestinal Quality and Immune Responses of Broiler Chickens

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of phytogenic additives (PA) and organic acids (OA), alone or in combination, on the performance, intestinal histomorphometry and lipid oxidation, and immune responses of broiler chickens. In this experiment, 820 one-day-old chicks were distributed according to a completely randomized design in a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial arrangement, with four replicates of 41 broilers each. The dietary treatments consisted of a control diet with no PA or OA (CD); CD with OA and no PA (CD+OA-PA); CD with PA and no OA (CD+PA-CD); CDwith both PA and OA (CD+PA+CD); and CD + avilamycin + monesin sodium. Broiler performance was not affected by the alternative feed additives, except from 1 to 21 days, when broilers fed the CD or CD+PA+OA diets showed higher body weight gain than those fed the CD with only OA. The broilers fed the diet containing avilamycin and monensin presented better performance. The supplementation of PA and OA increased bursalcortical area on21 and 42 days posthatch. On 21 days post-hatch, broilers fed the AGP diet presented higher ileal villus height than those fed the control diet. The pH values of the jejunum content were reduced on the OA-fed chickens. Higher villus height and crypt depth were found in the alternative additive-fed chickens on 7 days post-hatch. On 42 days post-hatch, the percentage of the bursal cortex increased in PA-fed broilers; however, there was no increase in antibody production. The PAfed chickens presented lower thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values in the small intestine. The dietary supplementation of phytogenic additives, individually or in combination associated with organic acids, does not affect broiler live performance or intestinal histomorphometry; however, it enhances immune responses and intestinal quality.

Global Restriction of Using Antibiotic Growth Promoters and Alternative Strategies in Poultry Production

“…However, some organisms are becoming increasingly resistant to some organic acids similar to antibiotic resistance. Therefore, in broiler diets, it is wise to use new organic acids which have antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activity, and they should be safe for human health 28 . Kim et al 29 reported that dietary supplementation of phenyllactic acid (PLA) improved growth and feed efficiency of broiler chickens.…”

Biological Evaluation of Some Plant Bioactives as Feed Additives to Replace Antibiotic Growth Promoters in Broiler Feeds

“…Based on the literature, there was no consistent effect of AGP and other feed additives on feed intake of broilers. Ertas et al (2005), Fascina et al (2017), and Mashayekhi et al (2018) showed that no significant effect of AGP supplementation on the feed intake of broilers. However, Emami et al (2012) showed an increase in feed intake of broilers due to AGP supplementation.…”

“…However, Emami et al (2012) showed an increase in feed intake of broilers due to AGP supplementation. Some reports showed that supplementation of plant bioactive or phytogenic did not alter the feed intake in broilers (Fascina et al 2017), although Aroche et al (2018) showed a depression in feed intake due to supplementation of mixed medicinal plant leaves powder.…”

“…The FCR improvement on broilers due to AGP supplementation varied from 3.2% (Fascina et al 2017), 4.7% (Ahmed et al 2016), 6.7% (Mashayekhi et al 2018), and 7.3% (Ertas et al 2005). Many efforts on the use of plant bioactives as feed additives to replace the antibiotic have been reported.…”

Target Animal Safety and Residual Study for Berberine and other Phytogenic Compounds in Broiler Chickens

“…mechanism against the compounds [19,20]. However, due to the wide variety of modes of action by which phytogenic feed ingredients can influence poultry performance, it is difficult to base a safety conclusion on only general effects and further studies are necessary [21].…”