Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Blood Profiles, Excreta Microbial Counts, Meat Quality and Organ Weight on Broilers Fed with De-Oiled Lecithin Emulsifier

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Commercial broilers have a short production cycle and a high requirement for energy, so the need to add lipids to the diet of broilers is inevitable. Adding an exogenous emulsifier to diets can enhance the digestion and absorption of lipids in broiler chickens. The effect of de-oiled lecithin as emulsifier on performance, lipid blood profiles, nutrient digestibility, organ weight, meat quality, and excreta microbial counts in broilers were evaluated in the present study. It was determined that the de-oiled lecithin supplemented diets improved the digestion and absorption of lipids through its emulsification, thus promoting better growth performance and health conditions of broilers. The results of this research provide a theoretical basis and a new insight for the applications of lecithin as a feed additive in the poultry feed industry. ABSTRACT: This research evaluated the effects of de-oiled lecithin (DOL) as an exogenous emulsifier in broilers. Totally, 480 male broilers (1-d-old, Ross308) were raised for a 35-day feeding experiment. Broilers were randomly divided into three dietary groups including the addition of 0, 61.80%de-oiled lecithin (DOL-60), 97.16%de-oiled lecithin (DOL-97) into the basal diet. Broiler chickens fed with DOL-60 and DOL-97diets had greater body weight gain (BWG) during 1–7 days, 8–21 days, and the overall experimental period (p< 0.05),greater(p < 0.05) breast muscle percentages, and lower (p < 0.05) low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL/C) concentrations. Furthermore, broiler chickens fed with DOL-97 diet showed the highest (p< 0.05)BWG during 22–35 days and feed intake during 8–21 days, lowest (p< 0.05) feed conversion ratio during 22–35 days and overall period, highest (p< 0.05) concentration of serum high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL/C), lowest (p < 0.05) concentration of serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL/C),excreta population of Escherichia coli (E. coli), and highest(p < 0.05) value of breast muscle redness. In summary, broiler diets inclusion of DOL-97 decreased the excreta E. coli counts, improved the growth performance, increased breast muscle percentage and redness, and enhanced concentrations of serum HDL/C and LDL/C.