Tahereh Ghaznavi1, Nazar Afzali1, Seyyed Javad Hosseini-Vashan *1, Mohammad Sedghi2, Hossein Naeimipour-Yonesi1
1- University of Birjand
2- Isfahan University of Technology
2- Isfahan University of Technology
Abstract: (27 Views)
Introduction and Objective: In recent years, there has been an increase in cost, and sometimes the scarcity of the main components of poultry feed, including corn and soybean meal in the country, has led to research in the field of finding suitable alternatives. Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is an annual herb that is abundantly found in Iran. Safflower meal, a high-quality protein supplement, can be used as a substitute for soybean meal in broiler diets. However safflower meal has high crude fiber and low energy, which is one of the limiting factors for the use of this edible material in poultry diet. In this way, to facilitate the use of safflower meal in poultry feed, it is suggested to include additives such as enzymes and acidifiers. Several researchers reported that the use of food additives such as probiotics, enzymes and acidifiers may improve the digestibility of foods containing high fiber. Therefore, enzymes were used to increase the digestion of safflower meal. Endopower multi-enzyme has high enzyme activity of alpha-galactosidase, galactomanase, xylanase and beta-glucanase. This product is produced using by Aspergillus niger fungus and by fermentation method, and during the fermentation process, side products such as amylase, phytase, cellulase and protease enzymes are produced. These enzymes improve growth performance by degrading non-starch polysaccharides and increasing digestion and absorption of nutrients. Therefore, the present experiment was conducted to investigating the effect of safflower meal, multienzyme and acidifier on the growth performance, blood biochemical indices and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens.
Materials and methods: A total of 495 one-day-old male chickens were used in a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement (2*2*2) including 9 treatments, 5 replications and 11 chicks per replication. Experimental treatments included control and two levels of safflower meal (0, 7.5 and 15%) and two levels of multienzyme (0, 0.2%) and acidifier (0, 0.1%). At the end of each rearing period involved starter, grower and finisher period, the growth performance traits (Body weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio) were recorded. To determine blood biochemical indices, the blood were gathered from two birds of each replicate. Then centrifuged at 3000 rpm and plasma sample were used to determine the concentration of LDL, cholesterol, triglyceride, total protein uric acid, albumin and plasma enzyme activity of AST and ALT in broiler chickens. At the end of the experiment (42 days old), two birds from each replicate were slaughtered and the carcass weight and organ weight were determined ant the relative weight of organs were calculated The intestinal morphology involved villus height, villus width, crypt depth and villus height to crypt depth ratio were determined. .
Results: The results of the data showed that adding 15% of safflower meal, multi-enzyme and acidifier to the diet of broiler chickens in the starter period reduced the daily weight and feed intake and decreased the feed conversion ratio (FCR). Throughout the grower period, the highest daily weight gain was observed in the group fed with 15% safflower meal. The control treatment had the lowest feed intake and feed conversion ratio. The weight of thigh, breast, spleen, abdominal fat, gizzard, heart and different parts of the small intestine were affected by experimental treatments. The inclusion of 15% safflower meal along with acidifier and multi-enzyme increased the weight of the gizzard, heart, and different parts of the small intestine compared to control group. The highest enzyme activity of GOT and GPT enzymes, and concentration of total protein, uric acid, and glucose were assigned to the treatment that consumed safflower meal along with acidifier and multi-enzyme compared to control. The concentration of triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood of birds treated with 15% safflower meal and acidifier and 15% safflower meal with acidifier and multi-enzyme decreased. Although the concentration of HDL in the treatment of 15% safflower meal with acidifier and multi-enzyme increased and the level of LDL decreased in the treatments containing 15% safflower meal with acidifier and 15% safflower meal with acidifier and multi-enzyme compared to the control. Villus height, crypt depth and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth were higher in the treatment of 15% safflower meal combined with acidifier and multi-enzyme than in other treatments.
Conclusion: In general, the results show that adding 15% safflower meal along with multienzyme and acidifier increases the growth performance and health of the digestive system. As a result, the digestion and absorption of nutrients increases, which leads to an increase in daily weig
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