Can Yucca schidigera Be Used to Enhance the Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Gut Histomorphology, Cecal Microflora, Carcass Characteristic, and Meat Quality of Commercial Broilers Raised under Tropical Conditions?

The Effect of Yucca schidigera Extract on Serum Metabolites of Angus Crossbreed Steers with Metabolomics

This study was conducted to explore the potential effect of Yucca schidigera extract (YSE) on the metabolism of beef cattle. Thirty Angus crossbreed steers were selected, with an initial mean body weight of 506.6 ± 33.3 kg, and assigned to two treatments: a diet with no additives (CON group) and a diet supplemented with 1.75 g/kg of YSE (YSE group) (on a dry matter basis). The experiment lasted for 104 days, with 14 days for adaptation. The results showed that adding YSE could significantly improve the average daily gain (ADG) from 1 to 59 d (15.38%) (p = 0.01) and 1 to 90 d (11.38%) (p < 0.01), as well as dry matter digestibility (DMD) (0.84%) (p < 0.05). The contents of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and bilirubin and the total antioxidant capacity were increased and blood urea was reduced in the YSE group, compared to the CON group (p < 0.05). Both the glycerophospholipids and bile acids, including phosphocholine, glycerophosphocholine, PC(15:0/18:2(9Z,12Z)), PE(18:0/20:3(5Z,8Z,11Z)), PE(18:3(6Z,9Z,12Z)/P-18:0), LysoPC(15:0), LysoPC(17:0), LysoPC(18:0), LysoPC(20:5(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)), deoxycholic acid, glycocholic acid, and cholic acid, were upregulated by the addition of YSE. In summary, YSE may improve the ADG by increasing the blood total antioxidant capacity and glycerophospholipid synthesis, maintaining steers under a healthy status that is beneficial for growth. Furthermore, YSE may also increase the expression of bile acid synthesis, thereby promoting DMD, which, in turn, offers more nutrients available for growth.

Comparison of the Effects of Yucca saponin, Yucca schidigera, and Quillaja saponaria on Growth Performance, Immunity, Antioxidant Capability, and Intestinal Flora in Broilers

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Yucca saponin (YSa), Yucca schidigera (YS), and Quillaja Saponaria (QS) on growth performance, nitrogen metabolism, immune ability, antioxidant capability, and intestinal flora of yellow-feather broilers. This study randomly divided a total of 480 1-day yellow-feather broilers into 4 treatment groups. Factors in the 4 groups included CON group (basic diet), YSa group (basic diet mixed with 500 mg/kg YSa), YS group (basic diet mixed with 500 mg/kg YS), and QS group (basic diet mixed with 500 mg/kg QS). Throughout the 56-day study period, YSa, YS, and QS groups had higher average daily gain in broilers than the CON group (p < 0.01). The YS group had a lower feed gain ratio (F: G) in broilers than the CON group (p < 0.05). YSa, YS, and QS showed increased serum immunoglobin A (IgA), immunoglobin Y (IgY), immunoglobin M (IgM), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) levels; enhanced acetic acid, butyric acid, and valeric acid levels of cecal content; and reduced contents of ammonia nitrogen, urea nitrogen, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum in broilers (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Lachnoclostridium in the QS group was decreased compared with that in the CON group (p < 0.05). Higher IgA and IgY sera contents were observed in the YS group compared to the YSa and QS groups (p < 0.05). In contrast with the QS group, the serum IL-6 concentration of the YS group was reduced (p < 0.05). In conclusion, YSa, YS, and QS promoted growth performance, nitrogen metabolism, immunity, antioxidant capability, and intestinal flora in broilers. Through the comparison of YSa, YS, and QS, it was found that YS is more suitable as a feed additive to ameliorate the healthy growth of broilers.

Effects of Different Levels of Yucca Supplementation on Growth Rates, Metabolic Profiles, Fecal Odor Emissions, and Carcass Traits of Growing Lambs

Sixty male Awassi lambs were used to investigate the effects of dietary Yucca schidgera extract (YS) on the production, fecal and urinary odor emissions, and carcass traits of growing lambs fed complete pellets. Lambs were fed either a complete pelleted diet without yucca (control) or supplemented with 300 or 600 mg YS/kg dry matter (DM) during the 84-day experiment. The weights and feed consumption of the lambs were measured weekly. Blood samples were taken on days 1, 28, 58, and 84, and ruminal fluid samples were collected on day 70. On day 90, the odor emissions from feces and urine were measured. On day 84, 12 lambs were slaughtered for the evaluation of carcass and meat quality. The final values for bodyweight, bodyweight gain, and feed efficiency of lambs fed the YS₃₀₀ diet were 3.40%, 6.64%, and 6.17%, respectively, higher (p < 0.05) than those fed the YS₆₀₀ diet. Additionally, the percentage of dressing, myofibril fragmentation index, and ruminal isovalerate percentage of lambs treated with YS₆₀₀ were higher than those treated with YS₃₀₀. Compared with the control, the addition of yucca reduced odor emissions from feces and urine. In conclusion, dietary YS₃₀₀ had no additional benefits on growth rate, feed efficiency, and carcass traits, while dietary YS₆₀₀ improved fecal and urinary odors.

Dietary yucca extract and Clostridium butyricum promote growth performance of weaned rabbits by improving nutrient digestibility, intestinal development, and microbial composition

Yucca has abundant amounts of polyphenolics, steroidal saponins, and resveratrol and its extract can be used as a feed additive in the animal husbandry, which might contribute to the improvement in the growth and productivity in rabbit production. Hence, the current study aimed to examine the effects of yucca extract alone and in combination with Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, muscle quality, and intestinal development of weaned rabbits. A total of 400 40-day-old male rabbits were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups for 40 days: (1) basal diet group, (2) basal diet contained 300 mg/kg of yucca extract, (3) basal diet supplemented with 0.4 × 10¹⁰ colony-forming units (CFU)/kg of C. butyricum, and (4) the blend of 0.4 × 10¹⁰/kg CFU of C. butyricum and 300 mg/kg of yucca extract. The supplementation of yucca extract or C. butyricum increased body weight (BW) of rabbits depending on the age, the combined addition of yucca extract and C. butyricum significantly increased BW, weight gain, and feed intake, companying with increased the digestibility of crud protein, fiber, phosphorous, and calcium as compared to control diet (P < 0.05). Furthermore, yucca extract and C. butyricum treatment alone and in combination notably increased the villus high and the ratio of villus high to crypt depth of rabbits (P < 0.05). The combined supplementation of yucca extract and C. butyricum altered the intestinal microbiota of rabbits, as demonstrated by increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria Ruminococcaceae and decreased the proportion of pathogenic bacteria such as Pseudomonadaceae and S24-7. In addition, the rabbits fed the diet with yucca extract and the blend of yucca extract and C. butyricum had significantly increased pH_45min, decreased pressing loss, drip loss, and shears force when compared with rabbits received control diet (P < 0.05). Diet with C. butyricum or its mixture with yucca extract increased the fat content of meat, while the combined addition of yucca extract and C. butyricum declined the content of fiber in meat (P < 0.05). Collectively, the combined use of yucca extract and C. butyricum showed better results on growth performance and meat quality, which might be closely associated with the improved intestinal development and cecal microflora of the rabbits.