Effects of Soy Protein Concentrate in Starter Phase Diet on Growth Performance, Blood Biochemical Indices, Carcass Traits, Immune Organ Indices and Meat Quality of Broilers.

Qianyun Zhang,Yijian Zhang,Benjie Tan,Shan Zhang,Marianne Hjøllund Madsen,Shourong Shi,Guanglei Cong

doi:10.3390/ani11020281

Qianyun Zhang, Yijian Zhang + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020281

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Abstract

Simple SummaryIt is well known that early nutrition plays an important role in determining changes in later physiology. Therefore, in order to promote the early growth of broilers, it is necessary to feed diets with high concentration of nutrients and high digestibility in the early stage after hatching. Since soy protein concentrate (SPC) has the characteristics of low content of antinutritional factors (ANFs), high digestibility and high amino acid content, we evaluated whether supplementation of SPC in starter diet could promote the later growth of broilers without changing the diets nutritional level (the same Metabolizable energy (ME), crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AAs)). The results showed that supplementing SPC in starter diet could improve the growth performance, carcass traits and immune organ indices of broilers. The results are very promising and SPC can be considered as a starter diet additive for commercial use. However, the mechanism of adding SPC in starter diets to improve broiler performance needs further study.Soybean meal (SBM) is high in antinutritional factors (ANFs), which is not conducive to the starter growth of broilers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of soy protein concentrate (SPC) in starter diet on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, immune organ indices and blood biochemical indices of broilers. A total of 384 1-day-old Arbor Acres (AA) male broilers (46.05 ± 0.37 g) with similar body weight were randomly divided into 4 groups with 8 replicates in each group and 12 broilers in each replicate. The experiment was divided into three phases: in starter phase (1–10 d), birds were fed a corn-SBM-based basal mash diet (control) and the basal diet was supplemented with SPC at 4% (SPC4), 8% (SPC8), 12% (SPC12). In the grower phase (11–21 d) and the finisher phase (22–42 d), the birds in all four treatment groups were fed the same diets. The results showed that the body weight was significantly increased in the SPC8 and SPC12 groups of broilers at 10 d and 42 d (p < 0.05). The average daily gain was significantly increased in the SPC12 group of broilers at 1–10 d and 1–42 d (p < 0.05). The average daily feed intake was significantly increased in the SPC8 and SPC12 groups of broilers at 1-10 d (p < 0.05). The feed conversion rates at 1–42 d (p = 0.055) tended to decline in the SPC12 group. The carcass yield and the thymus indices were significantly increased in the SPC12 group of broilers at 42 d (p < 0.05). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)/aspartate aminotransferase (AST) tended to decline in SPC12 group at 10 d (p = 0.055) and total protein (TP) tended to increase in the SPC12 group at 42 d (p = 0.080). The contents of total cholesterol (T-CHO) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were significantly elevated in the SPC12 group of broilers at 42 d (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary inclusion of 12% SPC as a starter diet can be recommended due to the positive effects on broilers.

Highlights

Epidemiological studies in humans and research on animal models during the last two decades have provided strong evidence that the early environment, including early nutrition, plays an important role in determining changes in later physiology [1]
The aim of the study was added Soy protein concentrate (SPC) to the starter diets of broilers to determine its effect on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, immune organ indices and the blood biochemical indices of broilers, in order to provide evidence for the practical production of broilers
During the whole rearing period, all broilers were randomly divided into four dietary treatments and the experimental diets were fed in three phases: the starter phase, the grower phase and the finisher phase.In starter phase (1–10 d), birds were fed a corn-Soybean meal (SBM)-based basal mash diet and the basal diet was supplemented with SPC at 4% (SPC4), 8% (SPC8), 12% (SPC12)

Summary

Introduction

Epidemiological studies in humans and research on animal models during the last two decades have provided strong evidence that the early environment, including early nutrition, plays an important role in determining changes in later physiology [1]. To promote the starter growth of broilers, the diet must have a high concentration of nutrients and high digestibility [4]. SBM contains antinutritional factors, such as protease inhibitor, non-starch polysaccharide, phytate and lectin [6] These antinutritional factors will damage the structure of the animal digestive tract, reduce the utilization rate of proteins and minerals, inhibit animal feeding, disrupt the balance of the intestinal microecology and have adverse effects on animal growth [7,8]. Soy protein concentrate (SPC) is a kind of soybean protein product with low antinutritional factor, high digestibility and high amino acid level [9]. The low-cost antibiotics were allowed to be added to diets to promote early growth of animals [13,14]. With the prohibition of antibiotics, the importance of early diet has attracted the attention of researchers

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