Characteristics of cecal and short-chain fatty acid production in broiler chickens fed diets with encapsulated Medinilla speciosa fruit extract

Abstract

This research investigated the impact of encapsulated Medinilla speciosa fruit extract on the cecal profile and the production of short-chain fatty acids in broiler chickens. The experiment involved 240 unsexed Ross strain broiler chickens, each 8 days old, with an average weight of 203.12 ± 2.03 g. The diets for both the starter and finisher phases were composed of yellow corn, rice bran, soybean meal, fish meal, limestone, premix, lysine, and methionine. This study used a completely randomized design with six treatments and four replicates; each unit had 10 birds. Treatments included T0 (basal diet without Medinilla speciosa fruit extract (MSFE) or encapsulated Medinilla speciosa fruit extract (EMSFE)), T1 (basal diet+0.08% MSFE), T2 (basal diet+0.02% EMSFE), T3 (basal diet+0.04% EMSFE), T4 (basal diet+0.06% EMSFE), and T5 (basal diet+0.08% EMSFE). The measured parameters included total lactic acid bacteria, Escherichia coli, pH, total acid, cecal length, relative weight, and SCFA production (acetate, propionate, and butyrate). Data were analyzed using analysis of variance at a 5% significance level. Duncan's test was conducted at the 5% significance level when the treatment effects were significant (p<0.05). The results showed that EMSFE addition had significant effects (p<0.05) on total lactic acid bacteria, Escherichia coli, total acid pH, and butyric acid, but not on cecal length, relative weight, acetate, and propionate. In conclusion, adding 0.04-0.08% EMSFE increased total lactic acid bacteria and butyric acid production and decreased Escherichia coli, pH, and total acid, while cecal length, relative weight, acetate, and propionate remained unchanged.