Resumo
ABSTRACT A total of 480 Arbor Acres Broiler chicks (mixed sex) from 1 to 35 days of age were divided randomly into 4 treatments to evaluate the impact of defatted Scenedesmus obliquus biomass (DAB) on broiler performance. The DAB was supplemented to broiler diets with levels of 0, 0.25, 0.50, 1.00% from one-day-old to 35 days of age. The DAB samples were analyzed in triplicates. The productive traits were measured weekly and the biochemical indices at the end of the trial. Data was statistically analyzed by One-way ANOVA. It was found that slaughter body weight, body weight gain and average daily feed intake were increased in birds fed diets supplemented with DAB compared to the control ones. However, feed conversion ratio was not affected by any of the treatments. Broilers serum enzymes activities and markers indicated that liver function as indicated by aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) and kidneys function which indicated by serum creatine and urea were not affected by DAB supplementation. Furthermore, protein, glucose and cholesterol levels in broilers serum were in normal levels and not affected by treatments. No significant changes were observed in relative organ weights (spleen, bursa, liver, gizzard, proventriculus and heart) or intestine length of broilers at 35 days of age in response to DAB supplementation in their diets. It could be concluded that DAB supplementation to broiler diets from 1 to 35 days of age up to 1% had no negative impacts and might have had a positive effect on broiler performance at 35 days of age.