Effects Of Rattan Tea Extract On Growth Performance,Meat Quality And Intestinal Development Of Wenchang Chicken

With the gradual use limitation of antibiotics,finding the natural plant extracts for use in livestock and poultry production has attracted more research interest.The present study mainly investigated the effects of rattan tea extract addition on the growth performance,slaughter performance,blood indexes,meat quality,intestinal flora,and metabolism of cecal contentin Wenchang broilers.A total of 240 female Wenchang broilers(70-day-old)were randomly allocated into four groups with five replicates per group(twelve birds per replicate).The control group was fed with basic diet,and the experimental groups were fed the basic diet supplemented with different levels(0.2%,0.4%,0.6%)of rattan tea extract throughout the 54 day’s study.The study results were as follows:1.Compared with the control group,the final weight and average daily gain of broilers in the group supplemented with 0.4% rattan tea extract increased significantly(P<0.05),and the ratio of feed intake to body gain decreased significantly(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the breast muscle rate of broilers in the group added 0.4% rattan tea extract was significantly higher(P<0.05),and the slaughter rate and breast muscle rate of the group added 0.6% rattan tea extract were significantly higher(P<0.05).The total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC)and total superoxide dismutase(T-SOD)activities in serum of broilers were significantly increased in the group supplemented with 0.4% rattan tea extract(P<0.05).The addition of rattan tea extract could significantly increase the content of serum Ig A(P<0.05).Adding 0.4%rattan tea extract to the diet could significantly reduce the contents of serum total cholesterol,total triglyceride and low density lipoprotein cholesterol of broilers(P<0.05).2.Diet supplementation with rattan tea extract at 0.4% and 0.6% increased the a*values of leg and chest muscle of the broilers(P<0.05).In addition,the diet addition of rattan tea extract significantly reduced the shear force and drip loss of leg and chest muscles(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the diet addition of rattan tea extract could significantly increase the contents of flavor amino acids,essential amino acids,total amino acids and inosinic acid in leg and chest muscles(P<0.05).In addition,the unsaturated fatty acids(USFA),polyunsaturated fatty acids(PUFA)and unsaturated fatty acids / saturated fatty acids(USFA/SFA)in leg and chest muscles in the 0.4% and 0.6% rattan tea extract group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).3.Higher abundance of Bacteroidota(P<0.05)and lower abundance of Firmicutes(P<0.05)in the cecal contents were observed in the 0.4% rattan tea extract group.The abundance of Faecalibacterium was significantly decreased(P<0.05)in the 0.4% rattan tea extract group compared with the control group.Cholesterol sulfate and p-cresol sulfate were identified as differential metabolites between the control group and the 0.4% rattan tea extract group.It suggested that 0.4% of rattan tea extract could significantly downregulat the levels of p-cresol sulfate and cholesterol sulfate(P<0.05).In conclusion,diet supplementation with rattan tea extract could improve growth and slaughter performance,regulate the immune function,and improve the meat quality and flavor of Wenchang broilers.