Effects of astaxanthin-rich algal meal (Haematococcus pluvalis) on growth performance, caecal campylobacter and clostridial counts and tissue astaxanthin concentration of broiler chickens

Autor: I Hansson, L Waldenstedt, J Inborr, Klas Elwinger
Rok vydání: 2003
Předmět:
Zdroj: Animal Feed Science and Technology. 108:119-132
ISSN: 0377-8401
Popis: The effects of a dietary astaxanthin from the microalgae Haematococcus pluvalis on broiler performance during an experimental infection with Campylobacter jejuni were studied. The experiment included 960 female broiler chickens, divided into 48 floor pens with free access to food and water. Half the number of birds were inoculated at 10 days of age with C. jejuni . The experimental diets were supplied with either 0, 7, 36, or 179 mg astaxanthin/kg feed (0, 350, 1 800 and 8 950 mg algae meal/kg feed, respectively), giving an intake of approximately 0, 1, 5 or 25 mg astaxanthin per bird and per day at 5 weeks of age. In addition, two different application methods of the astaxanthin were studied. The first method mixed the algal meal into the mash prior to pelleting. The second method mixed the meal with oil and was then sprayed on top of the pellets. Generally, there were no differences in bird live weight, feed intake or feed conversion ratio between different inclusion levels of astaxanthin or application methods. The results indicated that algal meal could reduce caecal colonization of Clostridium perfringens , whereas caecal colonization of C. jejuni was unaffected. Tissue astaxanthin and carotenoid concentrations increased with increasing levels of algal meal inclusion. The algal meal mixed with oil and sprayed onto the pellet resulted in higher tissue concentrations than the algal meal added prior to pelleting. Inoculation with C. jejuni significantly increased tissue astaxanthin concentrations in the kidney, intestine and breast muscle compared to non-inoculated birds. Coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility of astaxanthin was calculated to 0.882±0.048 for the upper intestine (between the end of the duodenal loop and Meckel’s diverticulum), 0.925±0.032 for the lower intestine (between Meckel’s diverticulum and the ileo-caecal junction), and 0.938±0.018 for the total tract. There were no significant differences in digestibility between application methods of the algal meal.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz: