10-Hydroxy-trans-2-decenoic Acid, a New Potential Feed Additive for Broiler Chickens to Improve Growth Performance

SIMPLE SUMMARY: It is understood that 10-HDA is a medium-chain fatty acid derivative containing an ω-hydroxy group, which is one of the main active components in royal jelly. Furthermore, 10-HDA has been proven to possess various physiological and pharmacological activities, including antibiotic, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant activity, etc. However, few studies have shown the role of 10-HDA in broiler chickens. This research assessed the impacts of 10-HDA on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and the immunity of broiler chickens. The findings demonstrated that a diet supplemented with 40 mg/kg 10-HDA apparently elevated the average daily gain, immunocompetence, and antioxidant capacity of broiler chickens. It is concluded that the growth performance of broiler chickens is greatly enhanced by 10-HDA, and that 10-HDA will have broad application prospects as a new feed additive in animal production. ABSTRACT: The purposes of this study were to explore the potential possibility of 10-hydroxy-trans-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) use in feeding broiler chickens. A total of 216 healthy 1-day-old chicks were divided into 2 treatments at random (diets supplemented with 0 or 40 mg/kg 10-HDA, respectively) with 6 replicates of 18 birds each, and were then reared for 42 days. The results found that a diet supplemented with 10-HDA significantly increased average daily gain of broiler chickens in d 22~42 and d 0~42. Compared with the control group, dietary inclusion of 10-HDA markedly increased the serum concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig) G at d 21, as well as IgM and interleukin (IL)-10 at d 42, while decreasing the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α at d 21, as well as IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β at d 42. Furthermore, broiler chickens fed a diet with 10-HDA had a higher (p < 0.05) serum activity of superoxide dismutase at d 42. Additionally, serum malondialdehyde content also decreased notably at d 21 and d 42. These results made it clear that 10-HDA increased the growth performance of broiler chickens, possibly by enhancing immune function and antioxidant capacity.