Water extract of yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) leaf improves production parameters, tissue antioxidant status and intestinal microbiota activity in turkeys

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the effect of water extract of yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) leaf (WEYL) on tissue oxidative properties, histological indices, gut microbiota composition and activity, and production parameters in turkeys. A total of 360 (1-day-old) female poults were randomly assigned to one of three treatments (8 replications × 15 poults each). The turkeys were fed in a four-phase system for 15 weeks: group C (control)—diet that did not contain WEYL; group E1—diet supplemented with 0.05, 0.1, 0.1, and 0.2 g/kg WEYL; and group E2—diet supplemented with 0.1, 0.2, 0.2, and 0.3 g/kg WEYL. The results of the analyses of body weight, feed intake, and feed conversion indicated that WEYL did not have any effect on these parameters (P > 0.05). However, WEYL increased the proportion of skin with subcutaneous fat (P = 0.006), and when supplemented at higher ratios, it reduced the proportion of liver (P = 0.010) and improved slaughter performance (P = 0.044). Furthermore, consumption of WEYL-supplemented diet led to an improvement in the antioxidative status and glutathione peroxidase activity in the blood and breast muscles, and also increased the superoxide dismutase activity in the blood and liver (P < 0.05). Supplementation with WEYL at a lower dose (E1) resulted in reduced malondialdehyde concentration in the blood, while supplementation at a higher dose (E2) caused a reduction in ascorbic acid concentration in the liver (P < 0.05). Turkeys that were fed with WEYL-containing diet had a higher amount of cholinesterase in the blood (P = 0.045), and those fed with the diet containing a higher dose of WEYL (E2) had a higher level of albumins and total protein (P < 0.05). Turkeys from E2 group had the longest villi and shallowest crypts, but the percentage of proliferating nuclei was found to be the highest in the group that received a diet with a lower dose of WEYL (E1) (P < 0.05). Turkeys from E2 group showed a decreased relative abundance of Lactobacillus spp. in the cecal content as well as reduced β-glucosidase activity, while those from the E1 group showed reduced β-galactosidase activity (P < 0.05). In summary, dietary supplementation with WEYL can help improve tissue antioxidative status and modify the enzymatic activity of the cecal microflora in turkeys, with no negative influence on the production outcomes of these birds.