Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of ramie (0, 3, 6, and 9%) included in diets on production performance, antioxidative capacity, serum biochemical indices, and intestinal development of laying hens. A total of 432 Lohmann commercial laying hens were randomly allotted to one of four dietary treatments and fed for 6 weeks. The results showed that the inclusion of ramie had no negative effects on laying performance, and increased (quadratic, P < 0.05) the laying rate with the highest value in the 6% ramie group. However, ramie content in the diet up to 9% reduced the apparent metabolic energy, dry matter, and organic matter apparent digestibility of laying hens compared with those in the 3% ramie group. The content of high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) in serum was increased (P < 0.05), but the activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was decreased (P < 0.05) by dietary ramie supplementation. As the dietary ramie level increased, the activity of serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) was increased quadratically (P < 0.05). Compared with control, 3% ramie group significantly increased (P < 0.01) liver total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Meanwhile, the addition of 3∼6% ramie powder increased (P < 0.05) villus height of jejunum and villus height/crypt depth (V/C) of ileum, which reflected the intestinal promotional effect of ramie powder. In conclusion, ramie in a diet of less than 9% might protect the liver and improve the antioxidative capacity with no detrimental impacts on the laying hens. Moreover, it could promote the intestinal mucosal structure and have a positive impact on the intestine health of the laying hens.
Highlights
Soybean meal was the main protein source of feed in China, 70% of which were imported from abroad (Yin et al, 2019)
Studies showed that feeding mice with nettle plants, which belonged to the Urticaceae family, could significantly reduce the lipid metabolism and reduce plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride content (Avcı et al, 2006)
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of varying levels of dietary ramie powder on the production performance, serum biochemical indicators, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal development of laying hens
Summary
Soybean meal was the main protein source of feed in China, 70% of which were imported from abroad (Yin et al, 2019). The nutritional values of ramie tender stems and leaves were similar to that of alfalfa, with high protein content (about 20.00% of dry matter, DM) and moderate neutral detergent fiber (NDF), reasonable amino acid composition (especially lysine, slightly more than 1.00% of DM) (Lee et al, 2009). Ramie belongs to the genus Ramie in the Urticaceae family and was a potential vegetable protein feed. Studies showed that feeding mice with nettle plants, which belonged to the Urticaceae family, could significantly reduce the lipid metabolism and reduce plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride content (Avcı et al, 2006). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of varying levels of dietary ramie powder on the production performance, serum biochemical indicators, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal development of laying hens
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