Effects of encapsulated Peperomia pellucida extract on growth performance, health status, and protein digestibility of broiler under high stocking density

Abstract

This study examined how adding Peperomia pellucida extract affects growth performance, health status, and protein digestibility of broiler under high stocking density. A total of 290 Ross strain broiler chickens, each 8 days old and weighing approximately 205.63 ± 2.65 g, were used in this study. Their diets included yellow corn, rice bran, soybean meal, fish meal, limestone, premix, lysine, and methionine. This study used a random design with four treatments and five replicates. The treatments were: T0 (normal space with 10 bird/m² without Peperomia pellucida extract (PPE) or encapsulated Peperomia pellucida extract (EPPE)), T1 (high stocking density/HSD with 16 bird/m² without PPE/EPPE), T2 (HSD with 16 bird/m² plus 0.4% PPE), and T3 (HSD with 16 bird/m² plus 0.4% EPPE). They measured the total lactic acid bacteria, coliforms, small intestine pH, oxidative status (malonylaldehyde, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase), protein digestibility, and performance (feed intake, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio). They used analysis of variance at a 5% significance level and Duncan's test when treatment effects were significant (p<0.05). The results showed that adding PPE or EPPE to the diet significantly affected (p<0.05) the total bacteria, pH of the small intestine, oxidative status, protein digestibility, and performance of broiler under high stocking density. The study concluded that adding 0.4% EPPE to the diet can improve small intestine bacteria, maintain oxidative balance, and boost protein use and performance in broiler under high stocking density.