Feed Additives in Broiler Nutrition

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2024) | Viewed by 20898

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Department of Bioveterinary and Microbial Sciences, Technological University of the Shannon, University Road, Co Westmeath, N37 HD68 Athlone, Ireland
Interests: fibre; prebiotics; minerals; feed; additives; protein; heat; inflammation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The use of a wide array of feed additives in broiler nutrition has gathered pace in the last five years as the chicken meat industry seeks to maintain animal performance and food quality under challenging production and environmental conditions. The continued reduction in the usage of antimicrobial growth promoters has hastened interest in reporting on feed additives that possess the technical attributes to consistently deliver meaningful responses relevant to chicken meat production. Understanding the mechanistic action of how both novel and well-established feed additives relate to improvements in broiler growth, health, and welfare under various conditions is a critical task to ensure that chicken meat production continues to deliver sustainable and economical animal protein to human populations.

This Special Issue will collect original research findings and reviews on feed additives relevant to improving the growth, health, and welfare of broiler chickens and contribute to the current understanding of the advancements and challenges for this area of poultry nutrition.

Dr. Cormac O'Shea
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • broiler
  • feed additive
  • nutrition
  • growth
  • environment
  • gut
  • gastrointestinal tract
  • diet
  • welfare
  • meat
  • chicken

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 6631 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Characterization of Cumin Essential Oil Nanoemulsion (CEONE) as an Antibacterial Agent and Growth Promoter in Broilers: A Study on Efficacy, Safety, and Health Impact
by Muhammad Jabbar, Irfan Baboo, Hamid Majeed, Zahid Farooq, Valiollah Palangi and Maximilian Lackner
Animals 2024, 14(19), 2860; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14192860 - 4 Oct 2024
Viewed by 594
Abstract
This research characterized and explored the effect of cumin essential oil nanoemulsion (CEONE) on broiler growth performance, serum biochemistry, hematological parameters, and cecal microbial count. Day-old (n = 96) broilers (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to six treatments with five replicates of [...] Read more.
This research characterized and explored the effect of cumin essential oil nanoemulsion (CEONE) on broiler growth performance, serum biochemistry, hematological parameters, and cecal microbial count. Day-old (n = 96) broilers (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to six treatments with five replicates of three broilers each. The dietary treatments consisted of negative control (only basal diet), positive control (basal diet + 200 µL of enrofloxacin), 25 µL (basal diet + 25 µL of CEONE), 50 µL (basal diet + 50 µL of CEONE), 75 µL (basal diet + 75 µL of CEONE), and 100 µL (basal diet + 100 µL of CEONE). The broiler’s body weight gain (BWG) after 42 days of treatment exhibited increased weight in the CEONE group (976.47 ± 11.82–1116.22 ± 29.04). The gain in weight was further evidenced by the beneficial microbe load (107 log) compared to the pathogenic strain. All the biochemical parameters were observed in the normal range, except for a higher level of HDL and a lower LDL value. This safety has been validated by pKCSM toxicity analysis showing a safe and highly tolerable dose of cuminaldehyde. In conclusion, this research observed the potential of CEONE as a multifunctional agent. It is a valuable candidate for further application in combating bacterial infections and enhancing animal health and growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feed Additives in Broiler Nutrition)
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14 pages, 302 KiB  
Article
Effect of Puncture Vine on Growth Performance, Carcass and Meat Traits, Metabolic and Immunological Blood Indicators, and Selected Cecal Microbiota in Broiler Chickens
by Hani H. Al-Baadani, Abdulrahman S. Alharthi, Saleh Al-Ghamdi and Ibrahim A. Alhidary
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3708; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233708 - 29 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1192
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of puncture vine (Tribulus Terrestris) addition on the performance, carcass and meat characteristics, selected metabolic and immunological blood indicators, some microbiota, and short-chain fatty acids. A total of 252 1-day-old broilers were distributed to three treatments [...] Read more.
This study investigated the effects of puncture vine (Tribulus Terrestris) addition on the performance, carcass and meat characteristics, selected metabolic and immunological blood indicators, some microbiota, and short-chain fatty acids. A total of 252 1-day-old broilers were distributed to three treatments with 12 cages as replicates per treatment (T1 = 0.0%, T2 = 0.08%, and T3 = 0.16% puncture vine). Performance parameters and metabolic and immunological serum indicators were measured in each feeding phase, while carcass characteristics, meat quality, cecal microflora, and short-chain fatty acids were measured at 35 days. Results showed that live weight, weight gain, production efficiency, and meat component color were lower in initial and ultimate at T3, while the percentages of the legs and gizzard were higher at T2 than T1. The relative weight of cooking loss was higher in T2 and T3, but the myofibril fragmentation index was lower than T1. Total protein and globulin were higher in T2 and T3 (14 days old), and the glucose level was lower in T2 (35 days old) than at T1. Interleukins (IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were higher in T2 than T1 and T3 (35 days old). Puncture vine has antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp., while Lactobacillus spp. was higher in T2. The total short-chain fatty acid content was higher in chickens fed puncture vine. These results indicate that the use of puncture vine powder as a natural alternative at a dosage of 0.08% has a safe effect on the performance, carcass and meat characteristics, and health of broilers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feed Additives in Broiler Nutrition)
15 pages, 2626 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Fermented Feed on the Growth Performance, Antioxidant Activity, Immune Function, Intestinal Digestive Enzyme Activity, Morphology, and Microflora of Yellow-Feather Chickens
by Fei Xu, Hongzhi Wu, Jiajun Xie, Tao Zeng, Lijian Hao, Wenwu Xu and Lizhi Lu
Animals 2023, 13(22), 3545; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13223545 - 16 Nov 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1841
Abstract
This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of fermented feed on growth performance, antioxidant activity, immune function, intestinal digestive enzyme activity, morphology, and microflora of yellow-feather chickens. A total of 240 one-day-old female yellow-feathered (Hexi dwarf) chickens were randomly divided into two [...] Read more.
This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of fermented feed on growth performance, antioxidant activity, immune function, intestinal digestive enzyme activity, morphology, and microflora of yellow-feather chickens. A total of 240 one-day-old female yellow-feathered (Hexi dwarf) chickens were randomly divided into two treatment groups, with six replicates per group and 20 chickens per replicate. The control group (CK) received a basal diet, whereas the experimental group was fed a basal diet of +2.00% fermented feed (FJ). The trial lasted for 22 days. Compared with the CK, (1) the growth performance was not affected (p > 0.05); (2) immunoglobin a, immunoglobin g, immunoglobin m, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6 were affected (p < 0.05); (3) liver superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase were higher (p < 0.05); (4) trypsin activity in the duodenum and cecal Shannon index were increased (p < 0.05); (5) the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota in cecum was increased (p < 0.05); (6) the abundance of dominant microflora of Bacteroides as well as Clostridia UCG-014_norank were increased (p < 0.05). In summary, the fermented feed improved the growth performance, antioxidant activity, immune function, intestinal digestive enzyme activity, morphology, and microflora of yellow-feather chickens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feed Additives in Broiler Nutrition)
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17 pages, 3094 KiB  
Article
Effects of Dietary Bacillus coagulans and Tributyrin on Growth Performance, Serum Antioxidants, Intestinal Morphology, and Cecal Microbiota of Growing Yellow-Feathered Broilers
by Jinwang Hou, Lina Lian, Lizhi Lu, Tiantian Gu, Tao Zeng, Li Chen, Wenwu Xu, Guoqin Li, Hongzhi Wu and Yong Tian
Animals 2023, 13(22), 3534; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13223534 - 15 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1658
Abstract
This study investigated the impact of Bacillus coagulans (BC) and tributyrin (TB) supplementation on the growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, and cecal microbiota of yellow-feathered broilers. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, 480 broilers were randomly assigned to four experimental [...] Read more.
This study investigated the impact of Bacillus coagulans (BC) and tributyrin (TB) supplementation on the growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, and cecal microbiota of yellow-feathered broilers. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, 480 broilers were randomly assigned to four experimental diets, comprising two levels of BC (0 and 1 g/kg) and two levels of TB (0 and 1 g/kg), over a 36-day period. A significant interaction was observed between BC and TB, impacting the average daily feed intake (ADFI) of broilers aged between 26 and 40 days (p < 0.01). BC and TB also displayed a significant interaction in relation to serum malondialdehyde levels and total antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05). Additionally, there was a significant interaction between BC and TB concerning the duodenal villus-to-crypt ratio, crypt depth, and jejunal villus-to-crypt ratio (p < 0.05). The addition of BC and TB significantly enhanced the richness and diversity of cecal microbiota, with a notable interactive effect observed for the abundance of Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus_torques_group, and Phascolarctobacterium. In conclusion, supplementation with BC and TB can effectively improve the growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, and cecal microbiota composition of yellow-feathered broilers, indicating the presence of an interactive effect. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feed Additives in Broiler Nutrition)
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11 pages, 261 KiB  
Article
Dietary Inclusion Level Effects of Yoghurt Acid Whey Powder on Performance, Digestibility of Nutrients and Meat Quality of Broilers
by Vasileios V. Paraskeuas, Georgios Papadomichelakis, Ioannis P. Brouklogiannis, Evangelos C. Anagnostopoulos, Athanasios C. Pappas, Panagiotis Simitzis, Georgios Theodorou, Ioannis Politis and Konstantinos C. Mountzouris
Animals 2023, 13(19), 3096; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13193096 - 4 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1203
Abstract
In recent years, the increasing demand for Greek strained yoghurt produced massive amounts of acid whey, which constitutes a major environmental pollutant. Whether yoghurt acid whey can be included in poultry diets is not known. The purpose of this study was to evaluate [...] Read more.
In recent years, the increasing demand for Greek strained yoghurt produced massive amounts of acid whey, which constitutes a major environmental pollutant. Whether yoghurt acid whey can be included in poultry diets is not known. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of four dietary levels of yoghurt acid whey powder (YAWP) on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, meat quality traits and oxidative stability. A total of 300 male 1-day-old Ross 308 broilers were assigned into four groups with five replicates of 15 broilers each: control-fed basal diet with no YAWP addition (WO) or basal diet supplemented with YAWP at 25 g/kg of diet (WA), 50 g/kg of diet (WB), or 100 g/kg of diet (WC). At the starter period, body weight and body weight gain were reduced after WB and WC treatments compared to the WO treatment. Breast meat oxidative stability was improved during refrigerated storage for 1 and 3 d in all YAWP treatments compared to control, while the WA treatment showed an improved oxidative stability after 6 and 9 d. The results suggest that YAWP inclusion at 25 g/kg of diet did not impair performance and extended the meat shelf life by reducing lipid oxidation rates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feed Additives in Broiler Nutrition)
16 pages, 6150 KiB  
Article
Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Asiaticoside on Growth Performance, Lipid Metabolism, and Gut Microbiota in Yellow-Feathered Chickens
by Qinghua Fu, Peng Wang, Yurou Zhang, Tian Wu, Jieping Huang and Ziyi Song
Animals 2023, 13(16), 2653; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13162653 - 17 Aug 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1466
Abstract
Excessive abdominal fat deposition in chickens is a major concern in the poultry industry. Nutritional interventions are a potential solution, but current options are limited. Asiaticoside (Asi), a herbal extract, has shown positive effects in animals, but its impact on poultry lipid metabolism [...] Read more.
Excessive abdominal fat deposition in chickens is a major concern in the poultry industry. Nutritional interventions are a potential solution, but current options are limited. Asiaticoside (Asi), a herbal extract, has shown positive effects in animals, but its impact on poultry lipid metabolism is still unknown. In this study, the effects of dietary Asi on yellow-feathered chicken lipid metabolism and its potential mechanisms were investigated. A total of 120 chickens were randomly divided into three groups, with five replicates per group and 8 chickens per replicate. The chickens were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 0.01, or 0.05% Asi for 6 wk. The results showed that Asi down-regulated lipogenic gene expression and up-regulated lipid-breakdown-related genes in both the liver and fat tissues of the chickens, which resulted in a half reduction in abdominal fat while not affecting meat yield. Mechanistically, the hepatic and adipose PI3K/AKT pathway may be involved in Asi-induced fat loss in chickens as revealed by computer-aided reverse drug target prediction and gene expression analysis. Moreover, Asi ingestion also significantly modified the cecal microbiota of the chickens, resulting in a reduced Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio and decreased abundance of bacteria positively correlated with abdominal fat deposition such as Ruminococcus, while increasing the abundance of bacteria inversely correlated with abdominal fat deposition such as Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, and Blautia. Collectively, these data suggest that Asi could ameliorate the abdominal fat deposition in yellow-feathered chickens, probably through modulating the PI3K/AKT pathway and gut microbiota function. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feed Additives in Broiler Nutrition)
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10 pages, 1226 KiB  
Article
Effects of Thymol and Carvacrol Eutectic on Growth Performance, Serum Biochemical Parameters, and Intestinal Health in Broiler Chickens
by Lixuan Li, Xiaochun Chen, Keying Zhang, Gang Tian, Xuemei Ding, Shiping Bai and Qiufeng Zeng
Animals 2023, 13(13), 2242; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13132242 - 7 Jul 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1984
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of diets supplementing with various levels of thymol and carvacrol eutectic (TCE) on growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, intestinal morphology, and the expression of intestinal nutrient absorption, barrier function- and inflammation-related genes in broiler chickens. A [...] Read more.
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of diets supplementing with various levels of thymol and carvacrol eutectic (TCE) on growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, intestinal morphology, and the expression of intestinal nutrient absorption, barrier function- and inflammation-related genes in broiler chickens. A total of 640 one-day-old Arbor Acres male broilers with similar body weights were randomly divided into four groups (8 replicates/group, 20 broilers/replicate). Birds in the four experimental groups were fed a basal diet with TCE at 0, 30, 60, or 120 mg/kg. The results showed that the growth performance of birds during 22–42 d or 1–42 d, serum IgE and IgG content at 21 d of age, jejunal and ileal morphology, ileal MUC2, OCLN, and IL-10 mRNA expression were significantly increased compared with the control group (p < 0.05), and the ileal IL-6 mRNA expression quadratically decreased (p < 0.05) with increasing dietary TCE supplemented dosage, and its expression showed a linear downward trend (0.05 < p < 0.1). Meanwhile, compared with the other three groups, birds fed diets with 30 mg/kg TCE presented better (p < 0.05) growth performance, intestinal morphology, and function. These results indicated that the optimal supplementation amount of TCE in the broiler diets was 30 mg/kg. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feed Additives in Broiler Nutrition)
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11 pages, 1100 KiB  
Article
Dietary Supplementation with Putrescine Improves Growth Performance and Meat Quality of Wenchang Chickens
by Qi Qi, Chengjun Hu, Haojie Zhang, Ruiping Sun, Quanwei Liu, Kun Ouyang, Yali Xie, Xiang Li, Wei Wu, Yuhang Liu, Guiping Zhao and Limin Wei
Animals 2023, 13(9), 1564; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13091564 - 7 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1983
Abstract
This study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with putrescine on the growth performance and meat quality of chickens. A total of 480 eighty-day-old female Wenchang chickens were randomly assigned into four groups, with 8 replications per group and 15 animals [...] Read more.
This study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with putrescine on the growth performance and meat quality of chickens. A total of 480 eighty-day-old female Wenchang chickens were randomly assigned into four groups, with 8 replications per group and 15 animals per replicate. The chickens in the control group (Con) were fed a basal diet; the 3 experimental groups were fed a basal diet with 0.01%, 0.03%, and 0.05% putrescine, respectively. The experiment lasted for 40 days. The results showed that dietary supplementation with 0.05% putrescine increased (p < 0.05) the final body weight and average daily weight gain, and decreased the ratio of feed intake to the body weight gain of Wenchang chickens. Dietary supplementation with putrescine decreased the concentrations of putrescine, spermidine, and spermine in serum (p < 0.05). The contents of methionine, phenylalanine, lysine, aspartic acid, tyrosine, total essential amino acids, and total amino acids in breast muscle were higher (p < 0.05) in 0.03% and 0.05% groups than those in Con group. However, the contents of undecanoic acid, lauric acid, tridecanoic acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, arachidic acid, docosanoic acid, tricosanic acid, lignoceric acid, erucic acid, cis-11,14,17-eicosatrienoate, linoleic acid, and total n-6 monounsaturated fatty acids in breast muscle were lower (p < 0.05) in 0.03% and 0.05% groups than those in Con group. In addition, putrescine supplementation decreased (p < 0.05) the ratio of n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in breast meat. Overall, dietary supplementation with 0.05% putrescine enhanced the growth performance and meat quality of Wenchang chickens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feed Additives in Broiler Nutrition)
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11 pages, 306 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Encapsulated Propyl Propane Thiosulfonate (PTSO) on Apparent Ileal Digestibility and Productive Performance in Broiler Chickens
by Gonzalo Villar-Patiño, María del Carmen Camacho-Rea, Myrna Elena Olvera-García, Arturo Soria-Soria, Julio César Baltazar-Vázquez, Gabriela Gómez-Verduzco, Lourdes Solano, Guillermo Téllez and Aurora Hilda Ramírez-Pérez
Animals 2023, 13(6), 1123; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13061123 - 22 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1720
Abstract
This study analyzed the effects of different dietary doses of encapsulated propyl propane thiosulfonate (Pe-PTSO) on the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of nutrients and productive performance in broilers. A total of 100 one-day-old Cobb 500 were housed in battery cages for 20 days. [...] Read more.
This study analyzed the effects of different dietary doses of encapsulated propyl propane thiosulfonate (Pe-PTSO) on the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of nutrients and productive performance in broilers. A total of 100 one-day-old Cobb 500 were housed in battery cages for 20 days. At 10 days of age, the birds were assigned to one of five diets: negative control (P0), 250 mg/kg of Pe-PTSO (P250), 500 mg/kg of Pe-PTSO (P500), 750 mg/kg of Pe-PTSO (P750), and positive control, nicarbazin–narasin (ION). Titanium dioxide was the external marker, which was added to the diets from day 17 to 20. In the birds fed the P250 diet, there was a significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) in the AID values for amino acids and energy compared to those that consumed the P0 diet. Furthermore, the P250 diet significantly increased (p ≤ 0.05) the average daily weight gain compared to the P0 diet. No significant differences were observed between treatments in average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio. In summary, the inclusion of 250 mg of encapsulated PTSO per kg in broiler chickens diet improved the digestibility of amino acids and energy, as well as weight gain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feed Additives in Broiler Nutrition)
16 pages, 1404 KiB  
Article
Effects of Vine Tea Extract on Meat Quality, Gut Microbiota and Metabolome of Wenchang Broiler
by Luli Zhou, Hui Li, Guanyu Hou, Jian Wang, Hanlin Zhou and Dingfa Wang
Animals 2022, 12(13), 1661; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12131661 - 28 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2634
Abstract
This study investigates the effects of vine tea (Ampelopsis grossedentata) extract (AGE) on meat quality, gut microbiota and cecal content metabolites of Wenchang broilers. A total of 240 female Wenchang broilers aged 70 days were randomly allocated into four groups with [...] Read more.
This study investigates the effects of vine tea (Ampelopsis grossedentata) extract (AGE) on meat quality, gut microbiota and cecal content metabolites of Wenchang broilers. A total of 240 female Wenchang broilers aged 70 days were randomly allocated into four groups with five replicates of twelve broilers each. Broilers were fed a corn-soybean basal diet supplemented with AGE at 0 (T1), 0.2% (T2), 0.4% (T3) and 0.6% (T4) until 124 days of age. The whole feeding trial lasted 54 days. Results suggest that the content of total triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum of broilers are linearly reduced with dietary AGE supplementation (p < 0.05). The T3 and T4 groups had higher (p < 0.05) a* value in thigh and breast muscles than the T1 group. Additionally, the dietary supplementation of AGE decreased the shear force and drip loss of both thigh and breast muscles linearly (p < 0.05). Compared with the T1 group, AGE supplementation increased the levels of inosine monophosphate (IMP) significantly (p < 0.05) in both the thigh and breast muscles. Furthermore, an increase (p < 0.05) in the total unsaturated fatty acid (USFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and the ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acid (USFA: SFA) in both the thigh and breast muscles in the T3 group was observed. Higher abundance of Bacteroidota (p < 0.05) and lower abundance of Firmicutes (p < 0.05) were observed in the T3 group. The abundance of Faecalibacterium was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in the T3 group compared with the T1 group. Cholesterol sulfate and p-cresol sulfate were identified as differential metabolites between the T1 and T3 groups. It suggested that 0.4% of AGE supplementation significantly downregulated the levels of p-cresol sulfate and cholesterol sulfate (p < 0.05) and the hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR) activity compared with the control. Our present study demonstrates that dietary supplementation with AGE can improve the quality and flavor by increasing the IMP and PUFA content in the muscle of Wenchang broilers. Furthermore, dietary AGE supplementation with 0.4% can regulate the cholesterol metabolism of Wenchang broilers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feed Additives in Broiler Nutrition)
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Review

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20 pages, 914 KiB  
Review
The Contribution of Phytate-Degrading Enzymes to Chicken-Meat Production
by Peter H. Selle, Shemil P. Macelline, Peter V. Chrystal and Sonia Yun Liu
Animals 2023, 13(4), 603; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13040603 - 9 Feb 2023
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3172
Abstract
The contribution that exogenous phytases have made towards sustainable chicken-meat production over the past two decades has been unequivocally immense. Initially, their acceptance by the global industry was negligible, but today, exogenous phytases are routine additions to broiler diets, very often at elevated [...] Read more.
The contribution that exogenous phytases have made towards sustainable chicken-meat production over the past two decades has been unequivocally immense. Initially, their acceptance by the global industry was negligible, but today, exogenous phytases are routine additions to broiler diets, very often at elevated inclusion levels. The genesis of this remarkable development is based on the capacity of phytases to enhance phosphorus (P) utilization, thereby reducing P excretion. This was amplified by an expanding appreciation of the powerful anti-nutritive properties of the substrate, phytate (myo-inositol hexaphosphate; IP6), which is invariably present in all plant-sourced feedstuffs and practical broiler diets. The surprisingly broad spectra of anti-nutritive properties harbored by dietary phytate are counteracted by exogenous phytases via the hydrolysis of phytate and the positive consequences of phytate degradation. Phytases enhance the utilization of minerals, including phosphorus, sodium, and calcium, the protein digestion, and the intestinal uptakes of amino acids and glucose to varying extents. The liberation of phytate-bound phosphorus (P) by phytase is fundamental; however, the impacts of phytase on protein digestion, the intestinal uptakes of amino acids, and the apparent amino acid digestibility coefficients are intriguing and important. Numerous factors are involved, but it appears that phytases have positive impacts on the initiation of protein digestion by pepsin. This extends to promoting the intestinal uptakes of amino acids stemming from the enhanced uptakes of monomeric amino acids via Na+-dependent transporters and, arguably more importantly, from the enhanced uptakes of oligopeptides via PepT-1, which is functionally dependent on the Na+/H+ exchanger, NHE. Our comprehension of the phytate–phytase axis in poultry nutrition has expanded over the past 30 years; this has promoted the extraordinary surge in acceptance of exogenous phytases, coupled with the development of more efficacious preparations in combination with the deflating inclusion costs for exogenous phytases. The purpose of this paper is to review the progress that has been made with phytate-degrading enzymes since their introduction in 1991 and the underlying mechanisms driving their positive contribution to chicken-meat production now and into the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feed Additives in Broiler Nutrition)
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