The Effect of Whey on Performance, Gut Health and Bone Morphology Parameters in Broiler Chicks

Abstract

Whey is a highly nutritious byproduct of the cheese industry that can be used effectively in the animal feed industry. However, the use of whey in poultry diets is limited by its high lactose and mineral contents. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of whey in poultry diets on the performance, intestinal microbiota and physico-chemical parameters of the intestinal ecosystem, as well as on the bone morphology and its strength in broiler chicks. One hundred and twenty-eight, day-old, male broiler chicks were randomly allocated into four treatment groups of 32 chicks each. The treatment groups were: group A, which served as negative control and groups B, C and D, supplemented with 1, 2 and 5% of dietary whey, respectively. Performance of the groups was evaluated throughout the experiment. Following necropsies, the gastrointestinal tract from each bird was removed, divided into its anatomical parts and intestinal samples were taken for microbiological analysis and for pH and viscosity measurement as well. Tibiotarsus was also collected for morphometric analysis and strength evaluation. The statistical analysis of the experimental data revealed that the dietary supplementation of 1 and 2% of whey improved significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the body weight, while the addition of 5% of whey reduced significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the body weight. Furthermore, the addition of 1, 2 and 5% of dietary whey increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the pH of jejunum digesta and reduced significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the pH of caecum digesta compared to the control group. The addition of 1 and 2% of whey reduced significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the viscosity in the jejunum and ileum digesta, compared to the addition of 5% of whey which reduced significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the viscosity in jejunum digesta but increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the viscosity in ileum digesta. Moreover, the addition of 1, 2 and 5% of dietary whey increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the caecal counts of Lactobacillus spp. and Lactococcus lactis, while the addition of 5% of whey reduced significantly (p ≤ 0.05) the tibiotarsus length. It can be concluded that the addition of low quantities of whey up to 2% promoted the performance and gut health of birds, while the addition of higher quantities of whey at the level of 5% had a detrimental effect on the performance and tibiotarsus length.

Investigation of a Novel Multicomponent Mycotoxin Detoxifying Agent in Amelioration of Mycotoxicosis Induced by Aflatoxin-B1 and Ochratoxin A in Broiler Chicks

“…The manipulation of digesta pH in broiler chickens could act as a tool to manage the potential for optimum gut health and maximum nutrient absorption since the reduction of the pH may inhibit the growth of acid-sensitive bacteria, such as Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and Clostridium perfringens [ 46 ]. In our study, the addition of AFB 1 and OTA induced a significant increase in the pH of the duodenal and jejunal content.…”

“…This could be explained by the ability of zeolites to attract and buffer excess protons that cause acidity. In addition, the probiotic bacteria of MMDA product ( B. subtilis and B. Licheniformis ) are able to metabolize soluble nondigestible carbohydrates into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and lactate which consequently lowers the pH, while the prebiotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall promotes the proliferation of lactic acid bacteria in the intestine contributing also to the reduction of pH [ 1 , 46 ].…”

“…Viscosity, a physicochemical property of the intestinal digesta, is associated with the feed materials, mainly the undigested part and the digestive chyme. Increased viscosity in the gastrointestinal tract of poultry has been shown to negatively interfere with digestion and absorption of nutrients and consequently reduce performance [ 46 ]. In particular, it is assumed that increased intestinal viscosity depresses nutrient digestibility by interference with the diffusion of digestive enzymes to their substrates and with the movement of digesta across the intestinal lumen.…”

Efficacy of a Dietary Polyherbal Formula on the Performance and Gut Health in Broiler Chicks after Experimental Infection with Eimeria spp.

“…Supernatants (0.5 mL) from each tube were taken and the viscosity was measured in a Brookfield DV-II+ PRO Digital Viscometer (Brookfield Engineering Laboratories, Stoughton, MA, USA). Two readings were taken from each tube and were represented in units of centipoise (cP) as described previously by Tsiouris et al [ 23 ].…”

Adding wheat and rapeseed meal to corn-soy diets affects intestinal morphology and nutrient digestibility in broilers

“…Non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) of cereal grains exhibit anti-nutritive activity when present in broiler diets (Annison & Choct, 1991). In poultry, soluble NSP can increase digesta viscosity, reduce the digestibility of starch and protein and thus reduce growth performance (Choct et al, 2010) and increase the moisture content of litter (Dida, 2016;Tsiouris et al, 2020). Phytic acid found in wheat prevents the absorption of minerals such as iron, calcium, manganese, and zinc by binding to them before they can be absorbed in the small intestines (Lopez et al, 2002).…”