Supplementing a Herbal Product (NBS Superfood) in Broiler Diets Varying in Energy and Protein Levels: Effects on Growth Performance, Intestinal Morphology, Immune Response and Blood Metabolites

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Nutrition Bio-Shield Superfood® (NBS) on the growth performance, intestinal morphology, immune response and blood metabolites in broiler chickens fed with low metabolizable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) diets. A total of ۳۶۰ one-day-old Ross ۳۰۸ broilers were used in a ۴۲-d experiment. The birds were allotted to ۶ dietary treatments with ۵ floor pen replicates of ۱۲ birds each; based on a completely randomized design. Dietary treatments included a positive control diet (PC, standard diet), a negative control diet (NC, ۳% reduction in ME and CP without NBS supplementation), and dietary supplementation of NBS at ۰.۵, ۱, ۱.۵, and ۲ g/kg to negative control diet (NBS۰.۵, NBS۱, NBS۱.۵, NBS۲, respectively). Body weight on d ۱۰ and body weight gain during d ۱-۱۰ were lower (P < ۰.۰۵) in birds fed with NC and NBS diets compared to the positive control group. During later phases and d ۱-۴۲, no significant differences were observed in body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio of broilers among the treatments. Supplementation of NBS or lowering the nutrients by ۳% had no significant effect on immune response (total Ig, IgG and IgM concentrations) compared to positive control group. NBS supplementation decreased muscle layer thickness (MLT) in the jejunum (P < ۰.۰۱). Villus width (WV) and MLT showed a linear response to the treatments (P = ۰.۰۲ and P = ۰.۰۲, respectively), in this case, VW increased with the supplementation of NBS at ۰.۵ to ۲ g/kg, and MLT decreased with these levels of dietary NBS. In general, dilution of nutrients by ۳% of the standard diet and dietary supplementation of NBS had no significant effect on growth performance, immune response, blood metabolites and carcass traits in broiler chickens.

Keywords:

Broiler , Diluted diets , carcass traits , Herbal product , Digestive organs weight