Ascophyllum nodosum as a growth promoter in poultry: Meta-analysis

Abstract

The increasing global demand for protein demand for efficient and sustainable strategies in poultry industry. One of the latest advancements is the use of seaweeds as economic feed for poultry. The seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum, a brown seaweed has much potential due to its bio-active compounds and aid body weight growth in poultry. This meta-analysis examines its efficiency in terms of body weight across the species of broiler and age groups. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across NCBI (521 results) and Google Scholar (2,480 results), with studies screened for relevance based on inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. Using 27 unique study point from the finalized literature, standard mean differences (Hedges’ d) were calculated to assess the effect size. The meta-analysis revealed a robust and significant positive effect of A. nodosum supplementation on poultry body weight, with a pooled effect size of d = 1.705 (95% CI: 0.907 to 2.503, p < 0.001). A high heterogeneity was observed (I² = 98.85%, Q = 2254.834, p < 0.001). Ascophyllum nodosum supplementation significantly enhance broiler body weight. However, further studies are needed to explore factors influencing its efficacy, such as environmental conditions, management, and extracts.