Response of Broiler Chickens to the Dietary Fortification of Bile Acid

Abstract

The feeding trial was conducted for 31 days to investigate whether dietary energy modifications using bile acid feed additive (Runeon®) affected broiler performance, carcass characteristics, blood indices, intestinal lipase activity, and broiler's meat quality. A total of 1200 one-day-old Ross-308 broiler chicks (as hatch) were randomly distributed into three groups, each with five replicates (80 chicks/replicate). The first group was a control (T1) which fed a basal diet only. In the second group (T2), birds were fed the basal diet supplemented with bile acid (Runeon®) (on top application) at the rate of 200g/ton. In the third group (T3), birds were fed a basal diet reduced in energy requirements by 30kcal/kg and reformulated with 200g/ton of bile acid (Runeon®). Birds' diets fortified with bile acid in (T2) or (T3) significantly (P≤0.05) improved body weight, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and European Production Efficiency Factor (EPEF) as compared to the control. The dressing%, breast, thigh, and drumstick yields were improved in T2 and T3 than in control. Supplementation of bile acid significantly (P≤0.05) reduced abdominal fat%, as well, blood cholesterol, triacylglycerol, HDL, and LDL concentrations, but increased total protein concentration (P≤0.05). Additionally, intestinal lipase levels significantly (P≤0.05) increased in groups fortified with bile acid (T2 and T3). Besides, chicken meat moisture% and fat% were significantly (P≤0.05) decreased in T3 compared to T1 and T2. Conclusively, dietary fortification of bile acid could improve growth performance, profitability, carcass traits, serum lipids profile, intestinal lipase secretion, and chicken meat quality in broiler chickens.