# Neutral Sodium Humate Modulates Growth, Slaughter Traits, Antioxidant Status, and Gut Health in Yellow-Feathered Broilers

## TL;DR

Neutral sodium humate improves growth, meat quality, and gut health in yellow-feathered broilers, acting as a beneficial feed additive.

## Contribution

This study demonstrates that neutral sodium humate is a multifunctional feed additive that enhances broiler productivity and gut health.

## Key findings

- Neutral sodium humate improved body weight, leg muscle yield, and meat quality in broilers.
- NSH enhanced intestinal morphology, gut barrier integrity, and antioxidant capacity in a dose-dependent manner.
- Microbiome analysis showed shifts in cecal microbiota composition with NSH inclusion.

## Abstract

Sodium humate is a natural humic substance with antioxidant properties and intestinal health-promoting effects, which may enhance poultry health and productivity. In this study, neutral sodium humate (NSH), derived from sodium humate through pH adjustment to create a more neutral formulation, was used to include in the diets of yellow-feathered broilers at concentrations of 0.15% and 0.3%. The results demonstrated that neutral sodium humate inclusion improved intestinal morphology, enhanced gut barrier function, modulated gut microbiota balance, and boosted antioxidant capacity, thereby promoting growth performance. Additionally, meat quality parameters were significantly improved. These findings suggest that neutral sodium humate can serve as a functional feed additive to support broiler health and production efficiency.

In this study, we explored the dose-dependent effects of neutral sodium humate (NSH) on the growth performance, slaughter traits, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health of yellow-feathered broilers. A total of 240 one-day-old male yellow-feathered broilers were randomly allocated into three groups, with each group consisting of four replicates containing 20 birds per replicate. The control group (Blank) received a basal diet, while the NSH-L and NSH-H groups were provided with the same basal diet included with neutral sodium humate at concentrations of 0.15% and 0.3%, respectively. The results indicate that dietary inclusion of neutral sodium humate at both low (NSH-L) and high (NSH-H) doses significantly increased the body weight and leg muscle yield of yellow-feathered broilers and improved meat quality (p < 0.05). Furthermore, NSH inclusion effectively reduced serum total cholesterol levels and elevated total protein concentration (p < 0.05). In addition, NSH significantly improved duodenal and ileal morphology (e.g., increased villus height and reduced crypt depth), strengthened intestinal barrier integrity (p < 0.05), and enhanced antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05). Notably, the high-dose NSH group (NSH-H) demonstrated significantly greater enhancements in intestinal and barrier integrity compared to the low-dose group (NSH-L). Microbiome analysis revealed that, compared to the Blank group, both the NSH-L and NSH-H groups exhibited significant shifts in cecal microbiota composition, including increased abundance of Bacteroidota and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group and reduced abundance of Euryarchaeota and Methanobrevibacter. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that neutral sodium humate acts as a multifunctional feed additive in yellow-feathered broilers, enhancing productivity and gut health. The study provides a theoretical foundation for the scientific application of neutral sodium humate in broiler production.