Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Bilberry Extract on Growth Performance, Immune Function, Antioxidant Capacity, and Meat Quality of Yellow-Feathered Chickens.

Abstract

Simple SummaryVarious plant extracts are used as functional nutritional factors to keep the health and improve the performance of animals. This research investigated the effects of bilberry extract (effective ingredient: anthocyanin) on growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant status, and immune function of yellow-feathered chickens. Results showed that dietary supplementation with bilberry extract enhanced relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius and broadly increased activities of antioxidant enzymes of chickens; indices of meat quality were improved without impact on growth performance. The finding indicated that bilberry extract might be considered as a new additive to improve the health and meat quality of yellow-feathered chickens.The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of bilberry extract on growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant status, and immune function of yellow-feathered chickens. A total of 360 female hatchling Lingnan chickens were randomly allocated to three treatments with 6 replicates of 20 chickens per replicate. Birds were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0 (the control group), 100 (B100), and 400 (B400) mg/kg of bilberry extract for 63 d. Compared with the controls, (1) dietary supplementation with bilberry extract did not affect the growth performance of chickens from 1 to 63 d. (2) At 21 d, the relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius was increased (p < 0.05) by dietary supplementation with 400 mg/kg bilberry extract. Bilberry extract decreased the concentrations of IgY and IgM in blood plasma of 63-d chickens (p < 0.05). (3) For 21-d chickens, dietary supplementation with 400 mg/kg bilberry extract increased (p < 0.05) the activity of GSH-Px in blood plasma and jejunal mucosa (p < 0.05). Supplementation with 100 mg/kg bilberry extract increased (p < 0.05) the activities of T-SOD in jejunal mucosa and GSH-Px in the liver and decreased (p < 0.05) the MDA concentration in the liver. For chickens at the age of 63 d, both levels of bilberry extract increased activity of T-SOD in blood plasma (p < 0.05) and reduced MDA concentration in the jejunum (p < 0.05). (4) Supplementation with bilberry extract in the diet decreased the MDA concentration (B100) in muscle of 63-d chickens at 45 min postmortem and increased (p < 0.05) the activity of T-SOD (B400) at 4 d postmortem. (5) In breast muscle at 63 d, birds supplemented with bilberry extract (B400) had increased pH and drip loss while drip loss was reduced in the B100 treatment (p < 0.05); treatments did not affect inosinic acid or intramuscular fat contents. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of yellow-feathered chickens with bilberry extract enhanced the relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius, and broadly increased activities of antioxidant enzymes; indices of meat quality were improved without impact on growth performance. Considering the results in the current research, 100 mg/kg bilberry extract was recommended when supplemented in chickens.