Effects of Galla chinensis Extract on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, Serum Antioxidation, Immune Function, and Gut Microbiota of Broilers

Abstract

The purpose of this experiment was to explore the effects of Galla chinensis extract (GCE) supplementation in broiler diets on growth performance, carcass traits, serum antioxidation, immune function, and gut microbiota. In this study, broiler chicken diets were supplemented with a product of GCE at 0 mg/kg (control), 250 mg/kg (GCE250), 500 mg/kg (GCE500), 1,000 mg/kg (GCE1000), or 2,000 mg/kg (GCE2000). In total, 360 birds were randomly distributed into five treatments with six replicate pens and fed from 1 to 60 days. The birds in the GCE250 group had higher final body weights (p < 0.05) compared with the control group. Low-dose supplementation (250 mg/kg) of GCE significantly improved the broiler chicken's antioxidative and anti-inflammatory abilities by decreasing serum levels of malondialdehyde, interleukin 6, and interferon-γ at day 60 (p < 0.05). Additionally, principal coordinate analysis clustering showed that GCE supplementation shifted the cecal microbiota of broiler chickens compared with control at day 60, increasing the relative abundance of beneficial bacterial genera such as Faecalibacterium, Parabacteroides, and Alistipes, and decreasing the potentially pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus. Taken together, the results of this study showed that dietary supplementation of low concentrations of GCE (250 mg/kg) produced a positive influence on growth performance, gut microbiota, serum antioxidation, and anti-inflammatory markers in broiler chickens.