Effects of dietary microalgae (Spirulina platensis) on performance, selected blood parameters, intestinal microflora and morphology of laying hens

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Mardanpour H.; MEHRI M.; SHIRMOHAMMAD F.

Title

Effects of dietary microalgae (Spirulina platensis) on performance, selected blood parameters, intestinal microflora and morphology of laying hens

Author(s)

Mardanpour H. | MEHRI M. | SHIRMOHAMMAD F. | Issue Writer Certificate

Keywords

Intestinal morphology

Laying hens

Microflora

Performance

Spirulina platensis

Abstract

Introduction: The recent trend in the field of livestock and poultry feedstuff is directed towards the use of natural ingredients as substitutes to antibiotics, synthetic colors, and other chemicals. Among numerous natural candidates, blue-green microalgae (Spiralina platensis) is one of the high-quality natural feed additives used in the animal and poultry diet. Main species of Spirulina, S. maxima and S. platensis, are with distributed throughout the world (Oliveira et al, 1999). Spirulina maxima, contains high levels of vitamin B1 and B2, 𝛽-carotene, and up to 71% crude protein with sufficient concentrations of all essential amino acids except for the sulfur-containing ones (Becker, 2004). Dehydrated Spirulina platensis supplement has an excellent nutritional profile with up to 65% protein, essential amino acids, carotenoids, minerals and vitamins (Ross and Dominy 1990). Spirulina contains up to 20% of phycocyanin (water-soluble blue pigment) and chlorophyll a (green pigment), and relatively high vitamin B12 content of (Ciferri and Tiboni, 1985). Moreover, S. platensis is a good source of essential fatty acid, 𝛾-linolenic acid (Abd El-Baky et al. 2003). S. platensis is also rich in magnesium, manganese, iron, calcium, chromium, copper, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc minerals (Belay, 1997). The available energy content of S. platensis has been determined to be 2. 50-3. 29 kcal/g and its phosphorous availability is 41% (Yoshida and Hoshii, 1980). Verma et al. (2004) reported that S. platensis inclusion in broiler nutrition at 1% of diet showed significantly stimulated the activity of erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes while decreasing serum lipid peroxidation. Cholesterol level was significantly lower in the egg yolk of S. platensis supplemented diet fed hens (Sakaida, 2003). The addition of 1. 5 to 12% of S. platensis into broiler diets effectively replaced the protein source, in particular the soybean meal, by demonstrating satisfactory growth and feed efficiency rates (Nikodemusz et al, 2010). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of adding microalgae in layer diets on the Performance, intestinal Microflora and morphology, and some blood parameters. Material and methods: In this completely randomized design study, a total of 192 LSL hens (26-37 weeks of age) were allocated to four treatment groups (4 replicates and 12 hens per replicate). The treatments consisted of feeding a corn-soybean meal control diet alone or supplemented with 1. 5, 3 or 4. 5% S. platensis. The metabolizable energy (kcal/kg), crude protein (%), calcium (%), available phosphorous (%), methionine (%), and lysine (%) in the diet was 2770, 17. 6, 4. 1, 0. 6, 0. 42, and 0. 82, respectively. Cages were regularly ventilated to maintain the daily temperature between 21˚ C and C 23˚ . Each cage was equipped with feeder and drinker. Feed and water were provided ad-libitum. During the experimental period, a 16-hour lighting schedule was applied. Performance including feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg production, and egg mass were calculated weekly over the entire period. After feeding the experimental diets for 12 weeks blood parameters of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, and LDL were analyzed. In addition, villi height, crypt depth, villi height to crypt depth ratio, epithelium width and villi surface as well as intestinal Microflora (coliform, lactobacillus, and total bacterial population) were measured. Statistical analysis used in this study was performed in completely randomized design using GLM procedure with SAS software and comparison of means by fisher's protected LSD test. A P-value of less than 0. 05 was considered significant, unless otherwise stated. Results and discussion: The results showed that experimental treatments had no significant effect on feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg production and egg mass. In agreement with our findings, Zahroojian et al. (2013) reported that egg qualitative and Performance traits of Laying hens were not affected by diets containing S. platensis. In contrast, Shanmugapriya et al. (2015) reported the significant increase of body weight gain and feed conversion ratio by adding 1% S. platensis to the broiler diet compared with the control treatment. Variation in the reports may be due to the inclusion of different levels of S. platensis and or the age of experimental birds (Bonos et al, 2016). Addition of S. platensis to the Laying hens diet had no significant effect on cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL, yet HDL levels were significantly lower in third and fourth treatments (3% and 4. 5% microalgae, respectively) (P<0. 05). Shanmugapriya et al. (2015) reported 1. 5% S. platensis and saccharomyces cerevisiae fed birds had lower serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels yet their serum HDL levels were higher compared with the control group. These results are inconsistent with our findings hence the variation may be due to concentration dependent effects of the microalgae. In addition, cultivation and processing conditions may influence the composition and subsequently the bioactivity of the microalgae (Gutierrez– Salmean et al, 2015). Experimental treatments had no significant effect on villi height, villi height to crypt depth ratio, villi surface and epithelium width, but the crypt depth was significantly increased in the fourth treatment (P<0. 05). Accordingly, the use of red seaweed in brown luhman Laying hens diet increased the villi height and crypt depth compared to the control treatment (Kulshreshtha et al, 2014). Also, the use of different levels of S. platensis had no significant effect on coliforms, lactobacillus, and total bacterial population. Conclusions: Our findings showed that supplementation of diet with S. platensis at concentration of 4. 5%, could not considerably affect the Performance of Laying hens. Nevertheless, higher levels of the product may be needed for significant positive effects.

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APA: Copy

Mardanpour, H., MEHRI, M., & SHIRMOHAMMAD, F.. (2021). Effects of dietary microalgae (Spirulina platensis) on performance, selected blood parameters, intestinal microflora and morphology of laying hens. ANIMAL SCIENCE RESEARCHES (FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE, UNIVERSITY OF TABRIZ), 30(4 ), 59-69. SID. https://sid.ir/paper/964020/en

Vancouver: Copy

Mardanpour H., MEHRI M., SHIRMOHAMMAD F.. Effects of dietary microalgae (Spirulina platensis) on performance, selected blood parameters, intestinal microflora and morphology of laying hens. ANIMAL SCIENCE RESEARCHES (FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE, UNIVERSITY OF TABRIZ)[Internet]. 2021;30(4 ):59-69. Available from: https://sid.ir/paper/964020/en

IEEE: Copy

H. Mardanpour, M. MEHRI, and F. SHIRMOHAMMAD, “Effects of dietary microalgae (Spirulina platensis) on performance, selected blood parameters, intestinal microflora and morphology of laying hens,” ANIMAL SCIENCE RESEARCHES (FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE, UNIVERSITY OF TABRIZ), vol. 30, no. 4 , pp. 59–69, 2021, [Online]. Available: https://sid.ir/paper/964020/en

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Scientific Information Database

ISSN: 2588-4824

Journal Paper

Effects of dietary microalgae (Spirulina platensis) on performance, selected blood parameters, intestinal microflora and morphology of laying hens