Evaluation of sweet citrus peel supplement in water on performance and ileal microbial count of broiler chickens

Effects of different addition levels of CHM-JM113 on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, organ index, and intestinal health of AA broilers

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of different levels of a Chinese herbal medicine formulation combined with JM113 (CHM-JM113) on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, organ index, and intestinal health of AA broilers. The AA broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 5 treatments as follows: a basic diet for the control group, the basic diet supplemented with 0.25% CHM-JM113, 0.5% CHM-JM113, 1% CHM-JM113 and 2% CHM-JM113 for the treatment group, respectively. The results showed that the addition of CHM-JM113 to the diet significantly reduced the mortality (p < 0.01) and improved the European Broiler Index (EBI) (p < 0.05), whereas it had no significance on growth performance of AA broilers (p > 0.05). Comparing the control group, 0.5 and 1% CHM-JM113 group significantly improved the organ index of liver, spleen and bursa (p < 0.05). In terms of intestinal morphology and structure, the addition of different levels of CHM-JM113 increased VH and VH/CD ratio, decreased CD in the small intestine compared to the control group, with 1 and 2% of the additive dose being more effective (p < 0.05). Chinese herbal medicine and probiotics as natural antioxidants also significantly increased the content of SOD in serum of 21-day-old broilers (p < 0.01), and significantly decreased the content of MDA in serum (p < 0.01). At 42 days of age, the addition of 1 and 2% CHM-JM113 significantly increased the content of SOD (p < 0.01) and significantly decreased the content of MDA in the organism (p < 0.01), accompanied by a significant increase in T-AOC and CAT content. In the study of the effect of CHM-JM113 on intestinal immunity, compared with the control group, we found that 1% or 2% CHM-JM113 had a better effect on the expression of occludin and claudin-1 in the intestinal segments of broilers (p < 0.05). For the expression of GATA-3, 0.5% CHM-JM113 may have a better effect (p < 0.05). CHM-JM113 may be used as an antibiotic alternative in broiler production.

The effect of using fruit peel on broiler growth and health

To ensure the long-term viability of broiler farming, producers must address a number of issues, including rising feed costs, a ban on antibiotic growth promoters, and growing consumer awareness of chemical residues in broiler chicken meat. Fruit peel is a waste with no commercial value, but due to its high nutritional content, particularly in terms of energy, it has the potential to be used as an alternative feed source for broiler chicks. Fruit peel also contains a number of nutraceutical compounds that have the potential to be added to feed or used as natural supplements for broiler chickens due to their antibacterial, antioxidant, and immunostimulant properties. Fruit peels have high fiber content and antinutritional and toxic components that may interfere with broiler digestion and physiological function, so they should be used cautiously in broiler production. Various processes, including fermentation, extraction, distillation, and combining with other active components, such as enzymes, may be used to optimize the use of fruit peels in broiler production. This review examines the use of fruit peel and its effects on broiler growth and health.

Effects of citrus pulp on the composition and diversity of broiler cecal microbes

Diet may affect gut microbial composition and diversity. There were 3 dietary groups: 0% citrus pulp diet (C), 1.5% citrus pulp diet (I), and 2.5% citrus pulp diet (II). A total of 180 healthy AA broilers (21-day old) were divided into 3 groups (C, I, and II), each group was set up with 6 replicates, and each replicate including 10 broilers (half male and female). At 42 d, the cecal contents of 18 broiler chickens were collected after slaughter. The cecal contents were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing technology. Compared with group C, the abundance of Firmicutes in groups I and II decreased, while the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, Lactobacillus, and Faecalibacterium increased. LEfSe analysis showed that Actinobacteria, Coriobacteriia, Coriobacteriales, and Ruminococcaceae_bacterium_Marseille_P2935 in group I were significantly higher than those in group C. Bacteria, Coriobacteriales, Coriobacteriia, Coriobacteriaceae, Slackia, Bacteroides_sp_Marseille_P3132, and Lactobacillus_pontis in group II were significantly higher than those in group C. The Staphylococcaceae, Bacteroides_sp_Marseille_P3132, Macroccus, Lactobacillus_pontis, and Streptococcus_equinus in group II were significantly higher than those in group I. Functional predictions indicated that the cecal microbiota of broilers fed the 2.5% citrus pulp diet was more tend to utilize carbohydrates through glycolytic/gluconeogenesis metabolism. Adding citrus pulp to the diet affects the microbial composition and has important implications for studying gut health and improving economic benefits.