EXPERIMENT 1: COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF DIETARY HERBAL MIXTURE OR GUANIDINOACETIC ACID SUPPLEMENTATION ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, CECAL MICROBIOTA, BLOOD PROFILE, EXCRETA GAS EMISSION, AND MEAT QUALITY IN HANHYUP-3-HO CHICKEN
The study aimed to evaluate the effect of herbal mixture (mixture of ginseng and artichoke) or guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) on growth performance, cecal microbiota, excretal gas emission, blood profile, and meat quality in Hanhyup-3-ho chicken. A total of 360 one-day-old chickens were allocated into one of three dietary treatments (12 replicates/treatment; 10 broiler/replication cage) for 100 day of age. Experimental diets were CON: basal diet; TRT1: basal diet combined with 0.05% herbal mixture; and TRT2: basal diet combined with 0.06% GAA. Addition of 0.05% herbal mixture improved (P<0.05) the body weight gain and feed conversion ratio from day 31-100 as well as overall experimental period. Blood albumin and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) levels increased (P<0.05) in herbal mixture supplemented diet compared to the control diet. Additionally, there was a notable reduction (P<0.05) in excretal NH₃ and H₂S emissions in herbal mixture diet group compared to the control diet. Furthermore, the herbal mixture group exhibited increased (P<0.05) breast muscle weight, improved (P<0.05) breast muscle color, improved (P<0.05) water holding capacity, and a decrease (P<0.05) in abdominal fat compared to the control group. The results from the present investigation underscores the potential of ginseng together with artichoke extract supplementation as a viable feed additive, conferring improvements in growth performance, feed efficiency, excreta gas emission, meat quality parameters and defense mechanism against oxidative stress in Hanhyup-3-ho chicken.
EXPERIMENT 2: SILYBUM MARIANUM SEED EXTRACT AS A POTENTIAL PHYTOGENIC FEED ADDITIVE FOR IMPROVING GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY IN GROWING PIGS
Silymarin is the flavonoid extracted from Silybum marianum seed. It has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial properties, it and supports liver health. The growth performance parameters, nutrient digestibility, and blood profile in growing pigs fed the dietary Silybum marianum seed extract were analyzed in this study. A total of 196 crossbred growing pigs [(Yorkshire x Landrace) x Duroc] were allocated into three dietary groups: CON: basal diet; TRT1: basal diet with 0.05 % Silybum marianum seed extract; TRT2: basal diet with 0.10 % Silybum marianum seed extract. Results showed that pigs fed with Silybum marianum seed extract up to 0.10% increased average daily gain (P<0.10) and feed intake (P <0.05). The digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen, and energy were increased linearly (P <0.05) with addition of Silybum marianum seed extract up to 0.10%. However, serum bile acids, ALT, AST were not changed (P <0.05). In conclusion, the significant improvements in average daily gain, feed intake, and nutrient digestibility, indicate that Silybum marianum seed extract can positively influence the growth of growing pigs. Finally, natural feed additives like Silybum marianum seed extract may be a used as an efficacious growth promoter, and ultimately contributing to sustainable pig farming.
EXPERIMENT 3: INCLUSION OF GRADED LEVELS OF ACHYRANTHES JAPONICA ROOT EXTRACT TO LOW CRUDE PROTEIN DIET ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY, CECAL MICROBIAL AND MEAT QUALITY PARAMETERS IN BROILERS
This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Achyranthes japonica root extract (AJE) added to a low-protein diet on broiler growth performance, nutrient utilization, cecal microbiota, and meat quality parameters. A total of 450 Ross-308 broilers were randomly assigned to one of five dietary treatments. The dietary treatments were: standard crude protein (SCP) diet, low crude protein (LCP) diet, and LCP diet supplemented with 0.02, 0.04, and 0.06% AJE. Here the SCP and LCP diets were: days 8-21 (CP 21.50% and 21.07%) and days 22-35 (20.00% and 19.40%), respectively. The LCP diet tended to decrease total body weight gain (TBWG) compared to the SCP diet. Increasing levels of AJE inclusion linearly increased (P<0.05) TBWG and LCP diet supplemented with AJE also increased (P<0.05) TBWG than LCP diet, whereas feed intake and FCR were unaffected. AJE supplementation to the LCP diet tended to increase energy digestibility compared to the LCP diet. Breast muscle weight tended to increase by a graded level of AJE supplementation. In conclusion, AJE supplementation represented a potential ability to maintain a similar growth performance when added to a low-protein diet by enhancing nitrogen digestibility, and meat quality in broilers.