The Combination of Different Dietary Fiber Sources Improves the Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility and Intestinal Function in Broilers from 1 to 42 d of Age

TL;DR

Combining inulin and cellulose in broiler diets improves growth, nutrient absorption, and gut health, offering an alternative to antibiotics.

Contribution

A novel dietary fiber combination (1.5% inulin + 0.5% cellulose) is shown to enhance broiler performance and intestinal function.

Findings

MIX1 group showed significantly increased body weight and average daily gain compared to other treatments.

MIX1 improved nutrient utilization, enzyme activities, and gene expression related to intestinal function.

MIX1 reduced intestinal inflammation markers and pH, suggesting better gut health.

Abstract

Information about the effects of different dietary fiber combinations on broilers is scarce. The present study evaluated the effects of different combinations of two fiber sources (inulin and cellulose) on growth performance, gastrointestinal tract development, nutrient utilization, and intestinal function in broilers. It contributed a novel way to reducing the frequency of intestinal diseases in broilers following antibiotic prohibition.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of combinations of different dietary fiber sources (inulin and cellulose) on broilers from 1 to 42 d of age. A total of 560 Arbor Acres male broilers were randomly divided into seven dietary treatments with eight replicates per treatment and 10 broilers per replicate. A con-soybean control (CON) diet, CON diet supplemented with antibiotics (zinc bacitracin, 50 mg/kg, AB diet), CON diet diluted with 2% of inulin (LNU), CON diet diluted with 1.5% of inulin and 0.5% of cellulose (MIX1), CON diet diluted with 1.0% of inulin and 1.0% of cellulose (MIX2), CON diet diluted with 0.5% of inulin and 1.5% of cellulose (MIX3), and CON diet diluted with 2.0% of cellulose (CEL). Results demonstrated body weight (BW) (d42) and average daily gain (ADG) (d1 to 21, d22 to 42, d1 to 42) were significantly increased (p < 0.05), and the feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) (d1 to 21, d22 to 42, d1 to 42) was markedly decreased (p < 0.01) in the MIX1 group than those in the other treatments. Compared to broilers fed CON, AB, or other diets, broilers fed with the MIX1 diet had markedly improved (p < 0.05) nutrients utilization, lactase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, and mRNA expression levels of jejunal function-related genes (SGLT1, GLUT2, PepT1, GLP-2, and ZO-1), while significantly decreased (p < 0.05) intestinal pH, TNF-α content and IL-6 mRNA level in jejunum at 21 or 42 days of age. Collectively, dietary fiber was included in broiler diets at a total level of 2%, and the MIX1 combination (combining 1.5% of inulin and 0.5% of cellulose) promoted growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal function, and this diet may be a potential alternative to antibiotics.