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Effects of SILOHealth 104 supplementation on the growth performance of Ross 308 broiler chickens
Global consumption of poultry products has consistently increased over the past 30 years, requiring producers to maintain chicken production to meet the demands. With the rising concern regarding the inclusion of antibiotics in feed, developing a viable alternative for poultry production is of a significant interest. Butyric acid, a short chain fatty acid, is the primary energy source for colonocytes and has shown potential as an alternative to in-feed antibiotics, including its antimicrobial activity and positive effects on production performance traits of broiler chickens. SILOHealth 104 (SILO S.P.A., Florence, Italy) is a commercial butyrate product mainly containing mono- and di-glycerides of butyrate with a small portion of mono- and di-glycerides of propionic, caprylic, capric, and lauric acids. Its effects on broiler performance have yet to be evaluated. Four hundred and eighty day old male Ross 308 birds were divided into different treatment groups with equal starting weights and fed a basal diet, or basal diet including 500, 1000, 2000, or 3000 ppm of SILOHealth 104 for 35 days. There were no significant differences in overall average daily gain or feed:gain ratio with the addition of SILOHealth 104 to the diets (P > 0.05). At five weeks of age, abdominal fat weight was reduced in birds supplemented with SILOHealth 104 in a dose responsive manner (P < 0.05), while breast muscle weight increased with supplementation up to 2000 ppm, with significant increases in 1000 ppm and 2000 ppm birds compared to controls (P < 0.05). Expression of both Forkhead box protein O4 and myostatin, two factors that can inhibit protein synthesis, were found to be significantly decreased in the breast muscle of all SILOHealth 104 birds compared to control birds (P < 0.05). These data suggest that the components of SILOHealth 104 can positively impact the deposition of muscle, while reducing abdominal fat deposition in broiler chickens.
Keywords: Broiler; Butyrate glycerides; Breast muscle