Effect of emulsifier on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, intestinal morphology, faecal microbiology and blood biochemistry of broiler chickens fed low-energy diets.

BACKGROUND: This study hypothesizes that a natural multicomponent emulsifier (Lipidol) could improve production performance in broiler chickens by aiding lipid digestion and addressing digestive system limitations. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary emulsifier inclusion on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, intestinal morphology, faecal microbiology, blood biochemistry and liver enzyme activities of broiler chickens fed low-energy diets. METHODS: The experiment involved 144 one-day-old male broiler chickens split into 4 treatments. Four diets were used: standard metabolizable energy (ME) as a control diet and three low-ME diets, reducing by 100 kcal/kg by adding 0.5, 1 and 1.5 g/kg of exogenous emulsifier (Em). RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in body weight gain and feed intake. However, during the finisher period (25-42 days), supplementation emulsifier to low-ME diets notably improved feed efficiency. Although crude protein, organic matter and ash digestibility remained unaffected, dry matter (DM) digestibility significantly increased in broilers fed low-ME diets with emulsifier. Broilers receiving 0.5 g/kg of emulsifier showed the highest villus width and surface area values. Moreover, including 1.5 g/kg of emulsifier led to the highest villus height to crypt depth ratio. Faecal microbiota, blood biochemistry and liver enzyme activities showed no significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Emulsifier supplementation compensated for the energy reduction and enhanced performance, DM digestibility and some intestinal morphology parameters in broiler chickens fed low-ME diet. Using 0.5 g/kg of emulsifier per 100 kcal of ME reduction in broiler diets is suggested.

Improving performance, reproduction, and immunity in laying Japanese quail with algal derivatives.

We investigated the effect of the Persian Gulf algae derivatives, namely phycocyanin (PC) and fucoidan (FUC), on the performance, reproductive traits, and immune responses of laying Japanese quails. A completely randomized design was used to distribute 250 six-wk-old Japanese quails with an average body weight of 215 ± 10 g into 5 treatments, 5 replicates, and 10 birds in each replicate over a 5-wk period. Unlike the control groups, the treatment groups received drinking water supplemented with PC and FUC at concentrations of 20 or 40 mg/L, denoted as PC20, PC40, FUC20, and FUC40, respectively, while all birds were provided with identical feed. Supplemental algal derivatives notably improved hen day egg production (HDEP), egg mass, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the control group (P < 0.01). Incorporating PC and FUC had no significant effect on the weight of males' testes or the weight and length of hens' oviducts. Additionally, the experimental treatments had no impact on the chicks' hatching weight. The supplementation of PC and FUC resulted in increased fertility (P = 0.038) and hatchability (P < 0.001) rates, with the exception of fertility in the PC40 group. The effect of the experimental treatments on immune responses was largely not statistically significant, except in the case of ND. Specifically, the experimental treatments resulted in increased (P = 0.033) antibody titers against ND when compared to the control group, with the exception of FUC20. Supplemental algal derivatives significantly (P < 0.01) reduced total cholesterol, creatinine, and triglycerides (except in the case of PC20). Overall, these findings underscore the potential of algal derivatives to enhance quail performance, reproductive traits, and immune responses.