Effects of fermented soybean meal with Bacillus velezensis, Lactobacillus spp. or their combination on broiler performance, gut antioxidant activity and microflora

OBJECTIVE: A series of experiment were conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing a part of soybean meal (SBM) at 6% of broiler diets with fermented soybean meal (FSBM) obtained by single or two-stage fermentation by measuring growth performance, antioxidant activity in the jejunum and distal intestinal microflora. METHODS: Soybean meal samples were prepared by single-stage fermentation using Bacillus velezensis (Bv) (FSBM(B)), or Lactobacillus spp. (as commercial control) (FSBM(L)). Additional SBM sample was prepared by two-stage fermentation using Bv and subsequently using Lactobacillus brevis ATCC 367 (Lb) (FSBM(B+L)). Enzyme activity, chemical composition, trichloroethanoic acid-nitrogen solubility index (TCA-NSI) and antioxidant activity were measured. Then, in an in vivo study, 320 Ross308 broilers were divided into four groups with ad libitum supply of feed and water. Four groups were fed either a corn-soybean meal diet (SBM), or one of fermented SBM diets (FSBM(B+L), FSBM(B), and FSBM(L)). Growth, serum characteristics, microflora, and the mRNA expression of selected genes were measured. RESULTS: Compared to SBM, FSBM(B+L) contained lower galacto-oligosaccharide, allergic protein, and trypsin inhibitor, and higher TCA-NSI by about three times (p<0.05). Reducing power and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging ability correlated positively with the TCA-NSI content in FSBM. Growth performances were not significantly different among four groups. In jejunum of 35-day-old broilers, partial replacement of SBM by FSBM(B+L) increased the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase (CAT), and the FSBM(B) group had the highest catalase activity (p<0.05). Partial replacement of SBM by FSBM increased relative mRNA expressions of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and peptide transporter 1 (PepT1) (p<0.05); however, FSBM(B+L) increased CAT mRNA level to 5 times of the control (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Using Bv- and Lb-processed SBM through two-stage fermentation to partially replace 6% of diets will improve the gut's antioxidant activity under commercial breeding in broilers.