Abstract
Artemisia annua residue (ARR) is a pharmaceutical by-product produced after the extraction of artemisinin; it is rich in protein, crude fat, vitamins, trace elements, and bioactive compounds and contains negligible anti-nutritional factors. The present study aimed to optimize the fermentation conditions of ARR, evaluate the compound and microbial compositions of fermented AAR, and explore its effects on the production performance of laying hens. A total of 288 Xinyang black-feather laying hens were randomly allocated into four treatments for 30 days, including a control group (basal diet) and a basal diet supplemented with 1%, 2%, and 4% fermented AAR, respectively. The results showed that the optimized fermentation conditions of AAR were 80% moisture content, 3% inoculation quantity, 34 °C fermentation for 6 days, initial pH at 8, and 60 mesh (sieving). The compounds of 2-furyl-5-methyl furan, deoxyartemisinin, phytol, n-hexadecanoic acid, aromandendrene, and calarene had higher contents (average 6.86%) in the fermented AAR. The bacteria of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes (average 45.18%) were the most abundant phyla, and Acinetobacter, Bacillus, and Brevundimonas (average 15.87%) were the most abundant genera in the fermented AAR. The fungi of Phragmoplastophyta, Vertebrata, and Ascomycota (average 30.13%) were the most abundant phyla, and Magnoliophyta, Mammalia, Wickerhamomyces-Candida_clade, and Aspergillus were the most abundant genera (average 21.12%) in the fermented AAR. Furthermore, dietary supplementation of fermented AAR increased the average daily feed intake (ADFI), egg weight, and albumen height. Dietary supplementation of 2% and 4% fermented AAR increased the laying rate, while 2% fermented AAR increased the Haugh unit and decreased the feed-to-egg ratio. Collectively, it is concluded that fermented AAR has the potential to become a phytogenic feed additive, and dietary supplementation of 2% fermented AAR had better effects on the production performance of laying hens.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
